These Games We Play
by sugar high4
Summary: Harry’s been taken by an unknown person and Ron and Hermione have to solve a series of clues and riddles to find him. Along the way the two discover romance in an unlikely place- each other. R/Hr
1. mind games

I've decided to start another fiction. I just can't help myself. Oh well. I hope you like it- please read and review.  
  
Disclaimer- Unfortunately, I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters in the stories. Like I said- it's very unfortunate, but hey- JKR has to leave them in her will to somebody, right?  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Hermione-  
  
Hermione shrugged her shoulder, stopping her purse from sliding down her arm. She looked up and smiled. When Hermione left Hogwarts, she became a doctor at one of the best hospitals in the wizarding world. She worked in the children's ward, and a patient who had once been thought of as untreatable had been released that day.  
  
She looked out the window, and since it was such a nice day out she decided to walk home. As she exited the doors she heard a voice call her name.  
  
"Miss Hermione, Miss Hermione!" She turned.  
  
"Yes, Eric?"  
  
"Thank you for helping me get better- I brought you this." The boy handed her a rose.  
  
"Oh, thank you! I'm so glad you're better Eric- maybe you can start playing quidditch again now."  
  
The little boy hugged her, and ran inside the building, leaving his favorite doctor standing in the middle of the street, absentmindedly smelling her rose.  
  
As Hermione started to walk, the rose reminded her of a different boy. "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thur. Oh my God! It's Thursday!" She had been counting down the days until Ron would come home, and she was supposed to have dinner with him when he got back, tonight!  
  
Walking a little faster, she continued to think about Ron. Nearly two weeks. That's how long it had been since she and Harry had gone to see him off at Kings Cross station.  
  
She sighed, thinking about the business trip he had been on. 'Oh well,' she thought. 'At least he's not an Auror anymore. I never saw him then.' Still, he occasionally had to go on trips for the ministry. Like this one, which had sent him to Paris. She frowned, thinking about their last conversation.  
  
~~~flashback~~~  
  
"Don't be silly, 'Mione, I'll be back in two weeks."  
  
"I know, but it seems so far away." She exaggerated that last word, playfully, as she broke into a run.  
  
Chasing after her, Ron shouted. "You'll still have Harry to keep you company- the two of you will probably forget about me, you'll have so much fun."  
  
Hermione slowed to a walk. "Oh, Ron- you know that Harry's going to be out of town for most of the week too, he has 3 games for the Cannons coming up. But it's ok, work keeps me busy." She paused, and then smiled, coyly. "Besides, you'll probably forgot all about Harry and I in Paris. After all, that's where Fleur lives. One look at her and we'll be out of your lives forever."  
  
She started to run again, leaving him standing in the dust, with a surprised look on his face.  
  
~~~end flashback~~~  
  
Hermione smiled at the memory. That walk had been one of many she and Ron had been on in the last few months. Harry was constantly practicing for quidditch, or playing quidditch, or thinking about quidditch.  
  
She laughed. It was better this way though. No one would ever know how much she had missed her two friends when they were Aurors. Two years away from Ron and Harry was almost more than she could handle, but it was finally over.  
  
She looked down at her hand, which was playing with the petals on the rose. 'I wonder what he's doing now.' she mused. 'Maybe he- Stop it!' She chided herself. For years she had been trying to convince herself that she didn't like Ron Weasley. She'd had a crush on him at school, but it had never amounted to anything, and when he left for two years, she'd figured those feelings would go away. Unfortunately, they only grew stronger (damn feelings!). She often tried to tell herself she didn't like him.  
  
Eventually, it would work. It had to, if she didn't want to ruin their friendship.  
  
She jolted out of her thoughts (her very complex thoughts) when an owl landed on the rose in her hand. She took the note it was carrying, and it disappeared. 'Hmmm. What could this be?" She opened the note, and let out a cry.  
  
"No, no, it can't be! Oh my God, Ron." Her voice faded as she collapsed onto the nearest bench. "I've got to get help- I have to go get Harry." And with that, she began to run to Harry's flat.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Ron  
  
Ron sighed, as he leaned over and placed his head against the window. Finally, he way on his way home, and he was traveling the best way possible. By train. Traveling like this reminded him of earlier years, when he was just Ron, the goofy kid with the funny smile who had a crush on Hermione Granger. Not that that was too different from him now.  
  
His trip had been peaceful. Which was unusual for him. Well, unusual for the old him. He gave the briefcase sitting next to him a very odd look. He wasn't quite sure whether he liked it or not.  
  
Oh, sure- he loved his new job. He worked with his dad at the Ministry, and it actually wasn't anywhere near as bad as he'd thought it would be. He enjoyed his work. He just wasn't sure if he liked having a desk job more than his previous career.  
  
Ron had gone into Auror training right out of Hogwarts. That took an entire year, and when he finished, he became an actual Auror. With Harry by his side, he defeated countless evils in the magical world. From death eater to death eater.  
  
After a year, Ron quit. But not until after he defeated the one person who made him want to be an Auror. Draco Malfoy. Harry, Seamus, Dean, and Ron eventually caught him, after months of tracking him down. Dean was killed in the battle against him, and Ron was severely wounded. That was his last day on the job. But Draco was now in Azkaban, where he couldn't cause any more harm.  
  
Ron smiled at the thought. That evil little prat, Malfoy. Who threw his money into people's faces, just to make them feel like dirt. Who called Hermione a mudblood.. Ron tried to calm himself down, knowing that if he began to think about Hermione he'd get too excited.  
  
He began to think about what she'd said the last time he saw her. They were walking in the park, by her flat. First she told him that she'd miss him- his heart had leapt at that moment, but she'd continued, and made a comment about Fleur.  
  
It was funny; he'd seen Fleur in Paris. They actually had a decent conversation. And trust me, the one thing Ron never thought he'd be able to do was calmly sit and have coffee with Fleur Delacour. Not only had he been calm, he hadn't really noticed her- at least her looks, anyway. The entire time he was with her he'd been thinking about Hermione.  
  
He laughed at himself. It was ironic, really. The annoying, bushy- haired girl he'd met on the Hogwarts Express 10 years ago was the last person he ever expected to fall for. But he had. Not that he could ever tell her- it would screw up their friendship too badly.  
  
Ron absentmindedly walked off the train towards his luggage. As he stood there an owl flew over and landed on his trunk. Ron took the note it carried, and the bird flew away. Unknown to him, it was the same note Hermione had received.  
  
Follow the clues and solve my riddles to save someone you love, or they shall be mine.  
  
Forever  
  
As he read it he sunk to the floor. 'Bloody Hell- they've got 'Mione.' He had to find her- there was no option. He tried to pull himself together, knowing that he had to get help. 'Harry!' Harry knew all the answers, right? He was the boy who lived.  
  
Knowing that he was in no state to apparate, Ron began to run to Harry's flat.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Hermione and Ron reached the flat at the same time. In fact, they were both so completely out of it that they ran into each other. They screamed, at the same time:  
  
"Harry- quick, come on! Someone's got 'Mione!"  
  
"Harry- quick, come on! Someone's got Ron!"  
  
Suddenly they both stopped. Ron let go of Hermione's arms, which he'd been gripping desperately, and Hermione stopped pounding on Ron's chest.  
  
"'Mione?" Ron peered into Hermione's eyes suspiciously.  
  
"Is it. you?" Hermione looked uncertainly at Ron.  
  
"You're ok!" They both exclaimed. Hermione threw her arms around Ron.  
  
"I thought you were. but- "  
  
Ron interrupted her- "I'm here, but I thought you were-"  
  
They pulled away at the same time. "But the note, it said." Hermione's eyes opened wide.  
  
"Then what's going on?" Ron looked at Hermione. Suddenly, the truth dawned on him. "Oh my God, they've got Harry."  
  
Man- that started out as a prologue, but it turned out really long. Sorry guys- I'll try to shorten the chapters a little. Unless you guys like long ones, of course. Something which you can't tell me unless you review! Please- is it worth continuing? Read and review, and I'll luv you forever! 


	2. the first clue

As much as I would like to admit- I mean, say- that I own Harry Potter, I'm not looking forwards to spending years in prison. So, I'll say it now- I, (gasp) do not, (gasp) own, (gasp) Harry Potter, or any of the other characters. (Really big gasp) Besides, if you are actually reading my story you can tell that I'm no J.K. Rowling, sadly.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Ron turned to face the door of Harry's flat. He gaped at it for a moment before he finally gained the courage to knock. Tentatively at first, but then he began to pound on it.  
  
"Harry!" He screamed his best friend's name over and over, but no one came. He didn't stop until Hermione physically pulled him away.  
  
"He's not there, Ron- we'll have to get in somehow." Ron saw the worried look on her face, and realized what a prat he was being.  
  
"Ok, I'll try to break down the door." He said this heroically, but Hermione couldn't resist the smile that crept upon her face.  
  
As Ron slammed against the door she searched her purse, eventually retrieving a bobby pin. "Here, get out of my way, will you? You look like some kind of fish." Ron was smacking his body up against the door, looking a lot like a fish swimming up river.  
  
Hermione efficiently picked the lock, leaving an openmouthed Ron to weakly mutter, "Bloody hell," under his breath.  
  
Ron entered the apartment with baited breath. He had no idea what he would find. Fortunately, Hermione seemed to have kept a clear head. "You search the kitchen, and his bedroom, I'll do the others."  
  
He readily obeyed her orders, walked into the kitchen, and began to open the cabinets and drawers.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Hermione wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. She'd been searching Harry's apartment for nearly an hour. She had yet to find a thing. His living room was empty, except for a few pieces of furniture, and a desk filled with pictures of her, Harry, and Ron. She was about to give up hope- who said the clue was in his flat anyway? Then she heard Ron call out.  
  
"'Mione! 'Mione, come here- I've got it!" She went sprinting into Harry's bedroom, where Ron was currently searching. He was holding an envelope. "It was on his bed, I just saw it!"  
  
"Well, open it, you git!" Hermione shrunk back when she realized what she had said in her excitement, but Ron hadn't noticed. He was busy tearing open the letter. He began to read out loud.  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
The secret lies in Hogwarts clues that you know from the past  
  
Search your memory for objects that have helped your friendship last  
  
To start you out here's clue number one: This place helped hold you together  
  
If you don't figure this one out, Potter will be mine forever  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
Hermione's face was a slate of emotion as Ron read the letter. She managed to look confused, scared, angry, and quizzical, all in about 30 seconds.  
  
Ron, however, just looked angry.  
  
"Bloody hell- this is just like that muggle show, Batman! I'm not solving some bloody riddle in order to find him! This is ridiculous! I mean, what kind of prat wrote this- it's not even original!" He was livid, and Hermione didn't think he was going to calm down anytime soon.  
  
"Ron- shhhh, Ron- calm down. Stop it! Please try to think rationally." Her voice drowned out as Ron's overpowered it.  
  
"Think rationally? Rationally?!?" He was now screaming. "While some madman has Harry, you want me to think rationally!? Don't you even care?" Hermione tried to hide the hurt in her voice.  
  
"I do care, Ron- I just would rather do something about it, and try to get him back." She bit her lip. "He was my best friend too, you know."  
  
Ron stopped. He grabbed her arm gently, pulling her up next to him on the bed he was sitting on.  
  
"'Mione, I'm sorry." He couldn't believe what he'd said to her. "I know you care, I'm just upset- I don't know what to do, and without Harry- "  
  
"I know, Ron." Hermione cut in. She leaned on his arm. "Let me see the letter- then we can decide what to do- maybe there really is a clue."  
  
He handed her the sheet of paper, and her eyes opened wide. "Well, it's obvious, isn't it? We need to go back to Hogwarts."  
  
Ron looked at her. "Are you sure? What about everything else it says- what about the place that held us together?"  
  
"Well. that could be Hogwarts too, and if it's something else, I guess we'll find out when we get there."  
  
"I guess it's settled then." Ron stood up. "It's time to go back."  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
They took the train. As they walked towards Platform 9 ¾, Hermione frowned. It felt good to be going back- she had amazing memories from her seven years at Hogwarts. But to be going because Harry had been kidnapped was not an ideal situation.  
  
The pair settled into an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Hermione promptly fell asleep on Ron's shoulder. He wasn't surprised. She was more upset than he was about Harry's disappearance, and he didn't think she'd gotten much sleep.  
  
Unfortunately it had taken him a while to notice, since he'd spent so much time grieving to himself. He'd completely forgotten that she was probably hurting too.  
  
He looked down at the frizzy brown hair covering his arm. He was such a prat! Ron still couldn't believe what he had said to her. Only a heartless jerk would have told her that she didn't care, when her face clearly expressed pain with everything she did.  
  
Ron sighed. He'd have to apologize- but he couldn't now, not while she was sleeping. Sleeping. That really didn't seem like a bad idea. He yawned only once, and then followed Hemione's example.  
When they arrived at Hogwarts they went straight to Dumbledore's office. Naturally, the man was excited to see two of his favorite alumni, and pleased to accommodate them however he could. However, when he asked where the third member of the trio was, one of his former students nearly broke down.  
  
Hermione quickly explained what had happened while Dumbledore tried to calm Ron down. He asked her what they would need, and Ron composed himself enough to answer.  
  
"We need to search the school. Look around, ask a few questions. Maybe a teacher has seen something, or one of the students. We'll report any progress to you." He then coolly exited the room.  
  
Hermione looked at Dumbledore apologetically. "I'm sorry- he thinks he's James Bond or something. We'll talk to you later." She followed Ron's tracks, leaving Dumbledore to sit and ponder how little they had changed.  
  
They searched the castle for hours. They looked in all of the main rooms, along with the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin common rooms. Ron was so determined that someone in Slytherin, mainly Snape, had some part in the kidnapping that he searched their dorms for 2 hours straight.  
  
Hermione met with all of the teachers, and checked the Great Hall. After hours of searching she still hadn't found a thing. She sighed in frustration and headed towards the main staircase, where she was supposed to meet Ron.  
  
She found him talking with Dumbledore at the bottom of the steps. He seemed to be in a much better mood.  
  
"Hello, 'Mione!" He greeted her enthusiastically.  
  
"Did you find something? What's going on?" She was rather confused as to his strange behavior.  
  
"The headmaster is going to give us a room, so that we can stay here and search as long as we need to." He linked her arm in his. "Lets go- I'll show you where it is. We should hurry so we can get a good night's rest- we have a lot of searching to do tomorrow."  
  
"If you need anything, I'm sure Dobby would be delighted to help you out." Dumbledore called after them. Hermione, who was still shocked by Ron's strange behavior and changed mood, meekly allowed herself to be led upstairs. For a while anyway. Eventually Ron stopped walking, and she began.  
  
"You know, I really need to start up S.P.E.W. again. Dobby shouldn't be delighted to help us out- he should be doing something for himself, and- "  
  
She stopped when she noticed the twinkle in Ron's eyes, along with the smile he was trying to hold back. "Ronald Weasley! Is something funny? I didn't think so! And when are we going to get to our room!?!"  
  
Ron pointed out that they had been stopped for at least five minutes, since she apparently hadn't noticed.  
  
"Oh." Hermione looked up at the door in front of them, trying to stop herself from blushing. "What's the password then?"  
  
"Harry Potter." He said grimly. The door swung open and she turned to face Ron, who was entering the room.  
  
"Why are you so excited, anyway? What happened that I don't know about? You were in such a bad mood before, and- what are you doing?"  
  
Ron was looking down at his hands, where he was counting with his fingers. "I was actually seeing how many questions you could ask in five minutes. At the rate you're going, you're going to beat Ginny's record!"  
  
"And," he continued, "If you must know, Dumbledore has a book he's going to try to find for us. He made it with Hagrid for Harry's birthday this year. The book is filled with pictures of the three of us during our seven years at Hogwarts." Seeing the confused look on her face he elaborated. "Don't you get it? The first clue said that the secret lay in Hogwarts clues. We have to search our memory for things that happened when we went here. Maybe the book will help!"  
  
"Ron- you're a genius!" Hermione was so excited she forgot her anger and threw her arms around Ron. She looked up at him, expecting to see him basking in his praise. However, he had a strange look on his face, like he was going to be sick.  
  
"Ron, what is it?" She asked. Seeing that he was facing the room, she turned around. The first thing she noticed was obviously the same thing Ron had.  
  
There was only one bed in the room.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Hermione let go of Ron, and distanced herself as far as she possibly could in the small room. "Maybe. Maybe Dumbledore had the wrong idea, you know, since we came without Harry."  
  
Ron was still looking in shock at the king size bed in the center of the room. As much as he would have liked to use it. No. He couldn't be having those thoughts, not about Hermione. He was so befuddled by the thought that it took him a moment to respond. "Well, 'Mione, he was obviously wrong, so what are we going to do?"  
  
"One- " her breath caught, "One of us will sleep in the bed- one of us will have to sleep on the floor." She looked at Ron, making it clear to him who she expected to sleep where.  
  
"Fine," he muttered. "Look, I'm hungry- I think I'll go to the kitchen and get some food. Do you want anything?"  
  
"Ron." Hermione managed to utter his name calmly, but Ron thought it was a scary calm. The kind of calm you definitely wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. "Are you really going to go downstairs and make the poor elves cook you dinner, just because you were too much of a prat to eat with the students?"  
  
He sighed. "Ok, I'll wait 'til morning. But just for you, 'Mione." He added, sweetly.  
  
She only laughed. "Sure, Ron. I believe you." But she lay awake for hours afterwards, privately wishing that he had been telling the truth. She also (although she would never admit this, not even to herself) wished that he was not on the floor, but next to her, so that she could have fallen asleep in his arms.  
  
Meanwhile, next to her on the floor, a very hungry Ron was musing over his relationship with Hermione. He was continually making fun of her, and she frequently felt it necessary to call him a prat. At the same time, she was the one person who continually amazed him, and the only one who ever made him feel as good as he had that night. When she had jumped into his arms he'd wanted to melt. Not that it had meant anything to her, of course. She had probably just been excited that they were a step closer in finding Harry. He rolled over, trying to suppress the one thing that kept him from sleeping.  
  
The wish that he was in that bed right now, with his 'Mione next to him, asleep in his arms.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
The next morning Ron and Hermione walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Dumbledore met them at the entrance.  
  
"I trust you both got a good nights sleep?" He asked.  
  
"Oh, yes." Hermione was clearly lying through her teeth.  
  
"I know there was only one bed but I felt sure the two of you would just magic another one up." Hermione resisted the urge to smack herself. "Of course we did, professor." She barely got that out through her gritted teeth. Ron just stood there, shocked by his own stupidity.  
  
After breakfast, Ron ventured up to the Gryffindor common room. It was the only one he had left to check. He looked around for a while, but when his efforts proved fruitless he settled himself on the couch. Eventually he heard a tapping at the window.  
  
Probably an owl with a letter for a student. He smiled to himself, thinking about all of the letters he and his friends had received over the years. Some bad, but mostly they were good. The tapping continued, and Ron realized that he was the only one left in the room. He got up and walked over to the window, letting the poor bird in. He was incredibly surprised when the owl dropped the letter in his lap, and then exited the same way it had come. Ron tore open the letter, and read it only once, before he began to sprint through the castle, screaming Hermione's name.  
  
He scared quite a few of the younger students until the older ones explained to them that Ron was a Weasley. The peculiar habits of members of that family were legendary at Hogwarts.  
  
Hermione heard Ron scream her name and went running into the hallway. "Ron, what is it?"  
  
"I've got it- the next note, come on!"  
  
She ran over to him, unfolded the piece of parchment, and read it to herself.  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
Many animals did dwell here  
  
Often you and your friends did too  
  
There is one person you could ask  
  
To help you solve this clue  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
Hermione looked at Ron with a confused expression on her face. "Could it be the common room? We all had pets, you know."  
  
Ron glared at her impatiently. "No! Read the clue. It says many animals. And there is a person there. It has to be Hagrid's cabin!"  
  
Hermione looked up at Ron in wonderment. Unfortunately, she didn't look long, since he had already begun dragging her towards the cabin.  
  
Ron knocked on the door impatiently, as fast and hard as he could, until Hagrid opened the door. The pair rushed into the cabin, and began searching everywhere for a clue.  
  
"Of course!" Hermione suddenly explained.  
  
A very confused Hagrid was sitting down, lost as to what the two were doing. "Of course what? What the heck is going on, Hermione?"  
  
"Don't you remember, Ron? Our first year- what happened in the cabin?"  
  
Ron mouthed only one word. "Norbert." He ran to where Hermione was pointing, a large picture hanging on the wall of the cabin. It was a picture of Hagrid and the baby dragon, obviously before it had been sent of to Romania with Charlie.  
  
"Oh, no." He groaned. "Not again." Near the bottom of the picture, tucked into the frame, was another piece of parchment.  
  
Whew- ok, I'm done with the second chapter, finally. Now, since you're at the bottom of the screen you've obviously read my story so far. The only thing left for you to do is. review! Please- it's my life force. At least, it could be my life force if sugar cubes didn't exist. Review and I'll luv you forever, I swear! 


	3. the burrow

Hey! Sorry for not updating in so long- darn history projects that actually take time. They're almost as bad as schools that actually make you do work. Lol. But, here it is- I hope you like it, REVIEW!  
  
Ok, ok- I'll admit it. I don't own Harry Potter, etc etc, and so on and so on.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Ron grabbed the piece of parchment and read it to Hermione.  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
  
The clue this time is a token  
  
Held by someone you love who's dear  
  
You have five days to figure this out  
  
Or you'll realize your worst fear  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
  
"Someone who loves- which one of us?" Hermione asked.  
  
Ron looked confused- "I don't know about this one. But we only have five days- what if we can't figure it out in time?" He was beginning to get panicked and was starting to remind Hermione of when he was younger.  
  
"Ok, ok. Calm down- lets go inside and try to figure this out."  
  
They traipsed towards the building, unable to decide whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that they had found another clue. It was supposed to mean that Harry was still alive, but they had no assurances that someone wasn't just messing with their minds.  
  
The first thing they did was tell Professor Dumbledore, then they went to their room to think.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Hours passed, and still they came up with nothing. None of their Hogwarts friends had any tokens they could remember of. Eventually, tired both physically and emotionally, the two collapsed on one of the beds. (yes, there were now two).  
  
"Do you realize that we don't even know who this madman is?" Hermione asked. "We've spent all our time looking for Harry and none thinking about what's going to happen when we find him! What are we supposed to expect? I mean, people dislike us, but who would hate us this much?"  
  
"I have some idea." Ron grumbled  
  
Hermione looked up in surprise. "You think you know who has him?"  
  
"I don't think, I know. Who else would it be but the one person who has terrorized us since our first year?"  
  
"Ron! You know he's dead. Don't bring him up, it's pointless."  
  
"We thought he was dead once before, remember? If he rose once."  
  
"Drop it Ron."  
  
The two were referring, of course, to Voldemort, whom the trio had defeated early in their seventh year. Hermione rarely talked about him though. In her mind, the battle that saved both the muggle and wizarding worlds- the battle that she fought and won- was not a victory at all. She would never consider anything where her two best friends were nearly murdered a victory.  
  
She continued in an icy tone. "So, let's say that this. person has Harry, and we figure out all these bloody clues we need to find him. What then?"  
  
"That's a simple one, 'Mione." Ron had an expressionless face. Hermione couldn't tell if he was serious or if he was being sarcastic. "I'll go in after Harry. Then I'll kill Voldemort, again."  
  
Now, Hermione was a patient woman. Sort of. But this nearly pushed her over the edge. She began to rant. "Ronald Weasley! What the hell is wrong with you? I told you, it's not Voldemort- don't you remember, we killed him- he's dead! He can't come back, and he doesn't have Harry. And what makes you think I'm going to let you go into that. that place, wherever it is, without me?" She would have continued, but Ron interrupted her.  
  
"Just because you don't like talking about him doesn't mean it's not a possibility. He was the bloody Dark Lord, Hermione, don't you remember? And there is NO way you're going anywhere near him! I tried to keep you away the first time, but I failed. I'm not going to fail again."  
  
Hermione was livid. "Harry was- is- my best friend too. I'm not going to idly sit aside and watch you get yourself killed trying to save him. I'm not the one who nearly died last time, remember? You were the one who had to spend six bloody months in the hospital, while I." Ron never knew what she was going to say, because at this point she burst into tears.  
  
"Hermione, I'm sorry, but I care about you. You're my best friend, and I'm not going to let you get hurt. Even if it isn't Voldemort, I don't want you anywhere near this place. I was an Auror, remember? I can deal with whoever it is, while."  
  
"I can't." She finished for him. "Well, thank you very much, for letting me know exactly how much you think of my magical abilities, as well as my lack of friendship." She stood up, pushing him towards the door. "Good night, Ronald."  
  
Ron looked blankly at the door that had slammed in his face. What had just happened? She had to be kidding, right? But, when five minutes later the door still hadn't opened, he trudged wearily upstairs to the Gryffindor common room where he slept on the couch.  
  
~~~  
  
As Ron started to walk up the stairs Hagrid smiled. He hadn't heard what the fight was about, but he was sure his two favorite little Gryffindors would fix the problem eventually. After all, they'd patched everything else up, hadn't they?  
  
'They really are amazing kids,' he thought to himself. 'To get through all they have, and still have ended up together.' He began to reflect on the very situations Ron and Hermione had been yelling about moments earlier. The more he began to reflect, the more his mind began to wander.  
  
It had happened in the beginning of their 7th year. Ron and Hermione had been acting the same as they were today. Constantly bickering but in love all the same. Voldemort, who had by this point fully risen, had tried to take over the one place believed to be completely protected. Hogwarts. He'd attacked while the children were in Hogsmeade, choosing the Three Broomsticks as his first hit.  
  
He just so happened to choose the place where Ron, Harry, and Hermione were eating. The trio had tried to stop him, Harry attacking first, and then Ron. But the Dark Lord had cursed Harry, sending him into a comatose state. Voldemort would have killed him right away, but he wanted to save the famous Harry Potter for last. Ron attacked Voldemort next, using a spell to get a hold on Voldemort's wand. Unfortunately for Ron the Dark Lord was next to Harry, so he used Harry's wand to perform the Cruciatus curse.  
  
This was the part Hagrid remembered most vividly. Any and every person who was watching these three children fight to save the lives of millions remembered it. Hermione picked up her wand, and quietly and coldly muttered two words. Avada Kedavra. Every person there said it was easily the scariest thing they ever saw. Even Hagrid was terrified of her at that moment, and he only saw a tape of it.  
  
Within an instant, it was over. Onlookers said that they could practically see the spirit being swept out of Voldemort's body. He collapsed on the floor, in a heaping pile. The Hogwarts professors, having just arrived in the village, came sprinting into the Three Broomsticks. They all looked speechlessly from Voldemort lying dead on the floor, to Hermione, leaning over the nearly dead body of Ron. She had tears streaming down her face as she held his head in her hands, trying to comfort him until help arrived. Hagrid came in at this point, and one look at her had nearly broken his heart. The added sight of Ron's lifeless face, framed with his famous Weasley hair, almost sent him running out of the restaurant.  
  
Almost, until. suddenly the lifeless eyes opened. The hand lying motionless on the floor reached over and grabbed Voldemort's dropped wand. And his mouth opened. "Darcolo finito," he muttered. Hermione's eyes followed the wand in his hand, the wand that pointed to the one thing she didn't want to see. For Voldemort had risen from the dead. Not for long, however, since the mysterious curse that Ron cast permanently killed him. Voldemort was gone, forever.  
  
Once Ron uttered the spell, he too fell into a coma. The trio was then taken to the Hogwarts hospital wing. Hermione was quickly released, but never left that room. About two weeks later, Harry awoke, but still, Hermione never left. She wouldn't, she couldn't leave the room, because Ron still hadn't woken up. He stayed in his coma for six months. Months when Hermione nearly wasted away to nothing.  
  
Yes, that had been a strange time, for all three children. Harry had gone through sad, elated, and angry phases, not sure how he should feel. Hermione still refused to talk about that day, poor child. She had taken it worst of all. She'd killed in cold blood, probably without feeling any remorse, and she'd nearly gotten killed! Who would want to reflect on that? Ron had the strangest reaction. When he awoke the teachers asked him about the spell he'd used, but he couldn't remember anything about it. Apparently, it had just popped into his head as the right thing to use.  
  
'But,' Hagrid reminisced, 'they got through that. And if they did that, then they can do anything.' Hagrid still had high hopes for Ron and Hermione to become a couple. He and Dumbledore had a running bet going against the other teachers that was made during the first year. A bet that Ron and Hermione would one day end up married.  
  
'And be married they will, mark my words. Even if the bed I put in their room didn't work.' And Hagrid went whistling off to find Dumbledore, to tell him the latest news about his favorite couple.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione lay in her bed thinking about what a prat Ronald Weasley was. She cried herself to sleep, thinking about how much she despised him. Not only had he undermined her abilities, he'd brought up the one subject he knew she hated.  
  
She was the one person not willing to talk about that day in the Three Broomsticks. It had been a nightmare for her and she never wanted to think about it, ever again. Ron had nearly gotten himself killed, and Harry had too. 'Damn their impulsiveness,' she thought bitterly.  
  
God she missed him. Harry Potter, the first person to befriend her in the wizarding world. The youngest Hogwarts seeker in a century. The boy who lived. Her best friend.  
  
"I will find you, Harry- I promise." Hermione whispered. Then she fell asleep, silently crying over the only two men in her life she truly loved.  
  
~~~  
  
The next morning was slightly better. Hermione had come to the realization that she didn't despise Ron, but she'd come to another realization as well. She didn't love him. There was no way she could love someone who hurt her so badly and didn't care.  
  
But somehow, the thought calmed her. It gave her one less thing to worry about. Instead of thinking about how she shouldn't fall in love with her best friend, she could think about how she loved her two best friends. She could spend more time trying to figure out clues so they could find Harry.  
  
However, Ron and Hermione still weren't talking. They avoided each other as much as possible by searching different ends of the castle. They went on for two days, searching without result. On the third day Ron decided to search the library, where he found a very familiar looking person hiding behind a bookshelf, sobbing.  
  
Immediately forgetting that he wasn't talking to her, Ron ran over. "Hermione, what is it?"  
  
"It's. nothing. Don't worry about it, just keep searching."  
  
"Hermione, I've been thinking. We have been searching this castle for days, and we haven't found a clue. Not a single token or trinket that belonged to someone we know! I think we should take a break. Search anew, try some different ideas."  
  
"And how do you suppose we do that?" Hermione snapped.  
  
"Well," Ron suggested. "We could go to the Burrow."  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
They left that night, on the first available train. The two arrived just in time for dinner. It wasn't the famous Weasley dinner Hermione remembered from not long ago, however. It was a sad, quiet dinner. The twins (who still lived with their parents) were silent. Their joke shop was slowly gaining recognition, but no one talked about it tonight.  
  
Mrs. Weasley was obviously trying to appear bubbly and cheerful, but it wasn't working. Arthur Weasley was in stone silence. Harry was like a son to him, and Arthur loved the boy with all his heart.  
  
All of this combined wasn't half of what Ginny felt. She looked like death six times over. Ron felt sick just looking at her. Her hair was unkempt and she was even paler than normal. She refused to touch her food, so she just sat in silence.  
  
After dinner Hermione told Ron she was going to talk to Ginny. "If no one talks some sense into the girl she'll waste away!"  
  
"Ok. Just remember to be gentle, Hermione. I think she might be feeling even worse than we are right now."  
  
"Excuse me, Ronald? You don't think I have enough sense to be gentle, and calm, and soothing? I really am learning exactly how you feel about me this week, aren't I?" And with that she stormed up the stairs. Later that night, after Ron and a still angry Hermione had collaborated with the adult Weasleys and still come up empty handed, Molly managed to corner Hermione in the living room.  
  
"So." Mrs. Weasley asked slyly. "How are you doing relationship wise, my dear?"  
  
Hermione began to laugh. "Relationship? What's that word supposed to mean?"  
  
"You know, darling, Harry isn't the only one I've always considered to be a member of this family. I've always thought of you as a daughter, and, well, I've always hoped you'd become one."  
  
It wasn't until she said this that Hermione realized what she was trying to do. "Well, I'm sorry you never got your wish." She said politely.  
  
"There's still time. You know who I'm really worried about though? Ron. He hasn't been in a relationship in quite a long time, and his job doesn't take up all of his time anymore. Frankly, I'm beginning to wonder how he spends it all."  
  
"Well he's with me a lot. I mean, he's with Harry. I mean." She was becoming flustered, but she never got the chance to finish what she was saying, so it didn't really matter. Mrs. Weasley kept talking.  
  
"He's such a sweet boy, and he's got a kind personality. But I'm sure you know that of course. And he's grown into a rather handsome man, don't you agree?"  
  
"Well, I." Hermione sputtered.  
  
"And he's a good quidditch player, and he'd make a good father, and." She droned on and on. Hermione was starting to feel uncomfortable. She had the totally wrong idea!  
  
". And then I could give you this necklace, it's just a little trinket, it's been in the family for years, I wear it as a good luck token, and you could."  
  
'Bloody hell!' Hermione thought. Was the woman ever going to stop?  
  
"Excuse me." She said rather loudly. Mrs. Weasley looked up in surprise. "Look, I'm very sorry, but I think you have the wrong idea. Ron and I aren't, and are not going to be, together. Now, I believe I'll go to bed since I have a lot of thinking to do tomorrow." She started walking up the stairs, only to be chased by Mrs. Weasley's voice.  
  
"He'd make a wonderful husband, and a great father! And you know how much I love big families."  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Ron lay awake in his bed, listening to Hermione stomp up the stairs. He didn't want to even think about what his mother had been telling her.  
  
He sighed. He had been acting like such a bloody prat towards her lately, but couldn't she see why? Years ago, when they had to fight Voldemort. that had been a mistake. Ron had spent three years keeping Hermione away from anything that had to do with Voldemort. She'd always been upset by that- she never saw that he was just trying to protect the person he loved. It didn't matter though, because in the end Voldemort had attacked when it was impossible for him to protect her. He had almost bloody killed her! Ron shuddered at the thought.  
  
Why couldn't she see that he was doing the same thing that he had done 3 years ago? Trying to protect the woman he loved from someone evil who wanted to kill her. Now, most people would take that as a good thing, but Hermione. she was different.  
  
And because she was Hermione, she was probably still mad at him. He'd really screwed up this time, he could tell. She was acting strange, and distant. And Ron had no idea how to fix the situation. He groaned into his pillow. "Women." He muttered.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Hermione was too shocked and outraged to think that night. She loved Molly Weasley, but that was going too far. True, a couple of days ago she would have loved to have gotten that speech from Ron's mum, but not now. Not once she had figured out her true feelings for him.  
  
Morning came, and she was still in a state of shock. She mentally reviewed the conversation she'd had the night before.  
  
"You know, darling. member of this family. thought of you as a daughter."  
  
'Is there anything she didn't say?' Hermione wondered in amusement.  
  
"He'd make a wonderful husband, and a great father. big families."  
  
".necklace, it's just a little trinket. in the family for years. a good luck token."  
  
"BLOODY HELL! That's it!" The few Weasleys who were still sleeping were jolted out of their beds with this one. They were also taken in with shock when they saw Hermione- cool, calm, smart, collected Hermione, go sprinting past all of their bedrooms in her nightgown. She ran down to the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was cooking breakfast.  
  
"Can I see that necklace of yours?" She said, panting.  
  
"Sure dear, you know, you didn't have to run, I would have given it to you at any time."  
  
Ron interrupted her. "Mum, you talked to her about the necklace? That necklace? Bloody hell."  
  
"Ron! Be quiet, you git. Look!" Mrs. Weasley was handing her the necklace. It was a locket that opened up to pictures of the Weasley family. "Don't you see? It's a token, belonging to someone we both care about, who loves us!"  
  
Ron was speechless. Hermione opened the locket, but to her surprise, it was empty. There were no random notes inside it, nothing. She frowned. "But I was so sure."  
  
"Well," said Mrs. Weasley tentatively, "there was something that came with the locket."  
  
She led Ron and Hermione upstairs to her bedroom. There was a tiny box on her dressing table, made for some kind of jewelry. Hermione picked up the locket, opened it, and used it as a key to open the box. By now the entire family was in the room holding their breaths, unsure of what they would find if anything at all.  
  
Hermione pulled open the lid of the box, and gasped. Inside was piece of parchment rolled into a cylinder. Surrounding it was Harry's class ring.  
  
~~~  
  
Oooooh (hum spooky music here). I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry- I didn't want them to get into a fight, but they wouldn't listen to me. AGH! Don't kill the messenger. RUN! (As I run for my life). It'll get better, I swear. Now the romance can build, hopefully making very happy reviewers. Wait- what was that word, you ask? Reviewers? Why, that would be you of course! So live up to your name, and review! PLEASE, with dozens of cherries on top. =)  
  
And I wanted to thank  
  
Adalye- I really wanted to thank you, because you're one of the few people who actually hint at what you'd like me to do. I'm going to get into the character's minds more now, I just had to get over their 'I'm obsessed with you' phases.  
  
And  
  
Felicia- Jeeze. Fine, I won't take any more breaks. Lol. Thanks for reviewing my story. I'm gonna try my hardest to get the chapters up faster next time. 


	4. smiling sugar cubes

I am SO sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I can't stand when others do it, and then I go and take forever myself. I'm officially a hypocrite. But, the play that took up so much of my time is officially over *tear, tear* and I'm going to have a lot more time to write, which means I'll have more chapters out a lot more quickly than this one. I'll do my best to get them out as soon as possible. Again, I'm sorry, but now we must go on with the real drama. . .  
  
Sadly, I don't own Harry Potter. 'nuff said  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Hermione fingered the ring in her hand and sighed. She had been reading the clue all day, but she couldn't figure out which place the clue was talking about. She read it again.  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
  
A place of horror and of hell  
  
For only one of you  
  
Go there and undo the spell  
  
To find out your next clue  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
  
There were a lot of places Hermione disliked, there were even more that Ron disliked. But the clue said that only one of them disliked it. What was that supposed to mean. Where could it be? Hermione was at a loss.  
  
A place of horror. 'The dark forest is somewhere I hate, but Ron hates it too. Well, just in case.' Hermione thought. She picked up a piece of parchment and wrote a note to Professor Dumbledore, asking him to check out the Dark Forest, and make sure nothing suspicious was going on inside it.  
  
'How long is this going to last?' She wondered. 'I need Harry back, soon. He's my best friend. Without him. . . ' She drifted off, to be awoken hours later by a slightly frazzled Ron.  
  
"Hermione. Hermione!" He whispered urgently. "Come with me, my parents want to meet about the clue. They're going to try and help us figure out what it means."  
  
Immediately Hermione leaped from the couch, nearly throwing herself out the door. "Well, what are you waiting for then?"  
  
Ron smiled. If there was one person he could depend upon in a tight situation it was Hermione. And Harry, but Ron was reluctant to think about him. Harry had been Ron's other half since their first year in Hogwarts all those years ago. The two rarely separated, when they did it was only out of necessity.  
  
'Why couldn't they have taken me?' He wondered. 'Harry's smarter than me- he's a great wizard. I bet he'd have found me by now.'  
  
He followed Hermione out the door, where they had a long chat with his parents about what the clue could mean. By the time they were finished various owls had been sent off asking people to confirm that certain areas were safe. They didn't have the manpower nor the time to check everywhere themselves.  
  
~~~  
  
The family (for by now Ginny had joined the group) discussed possible scenarios and answers to the latest riddle. They also continued their previous discussion on who could have taken Harry in the first place.  
  
The conversation seemed endless, and Ron was unashamed to admit that he was grateful for the diversion Fred and George made with their arrival.  
  
The twins had brought a present with them- their latest invention, smiling sugar cubes. Their intention was to distract Ginny, but the boys had not been there ten minutes when they gave up all hope of remaining cheerful and uninvolved and sat down with the rest of their family.  
  
"Could you explain the whole story? I'm kind of lost." Fred admitted. So Hermione and Ron began to tell the two sides of the story. Of course, because they were Ron and Hermione the two versions only clashed and made the twins even more confused, but not before Fred picked up on a very important fact.  
  
Midway through Ron bragging about how he had figured out that they needed to go to Hagrid's, Fred interrupted. Well, he didn't actually say anything, but Ron had to stop anyway, because no one could hear over his laughing.  
  
"Wait- wait a second. Do you mean to tell me that when you found out this. . . person. . . took someone who you love, you immediately thought of each other, and you're STILL NOT TALKING?"  
  
Ron (who had just been enlightened to this fact) smiled the biggest grin anyone in the Weasley family had ever seen. Of course, when he was asked about it later, he made the excuse that he had just popped a smiling sugar cube into his mouth.  
  
Hermione's facial expressions didn't change. "That's right. I love Ron, with all my heart, as a friend. And I always thought of Harry as untouchable. So Ron was the next logical explanation."  
  
George had been sitting there, reading and rereading the clue until he had it committed to memory. "Oy!" He exclaimed. "Now it makes sense!"  
  
Hermione and Ron both turned to look at him in surprise. Could it be? Was it possible? George looked at the two as if he expected the answer to dawn on them as it had him. When their faces remained unchanged he sighed.  
  
"Look- read the first clue. It says ~ to save someone you love. ~ But they meant Harry. The clues aren't only directed to you two, they're directed to him as well! So, what was the one place of horror for Harry? A place that didn't bother the two of you nearly as much?"  
  
"The Dursley's!" Ron and Hermione shouted at the same time.  
  
~~~  
  
"Let's go." Ron stood up, prepared to leave that very moment.  
  
"Darling, it's dark out. By the time you got to the muggle world the sky would be pitch black. If the. . . fiend. . . who has Harry is at their house, you would be walking into a trap." Mrs. Weasley lowered her voice. "And I'm afraid you might not be walking out of this one."  
  
"Hermione, let's go." Hermione looked torn. She didn't want to wait another second before finding Harry, but Mrs. Weasley had a point. If they were going to be walking into a trap. . .  
  
"Hermione!" Ron said more impatiently. "If you are going to come, lets go! You said you wanted me to treat you like the witch you are, and I do, and you just stand there!"  
  
Hermione slowly took a step towards him. "O-ok, Ron."  
  
Mrs. Weasley moved to protest, but never got the chance, for the most unlikely person threw themselves in front of Hermione to stop her from moving any farther.  
  
"Where do you think you're going? You know it's dangerous for you to go out there now! Wait inside, you'll spend the night here, and the two of you will leave in the morning. We're not going to lose another two members of this family out of sheer stupidity. Hermione, I expected better of you. And Ron, I thought you'd use better judgment. Seeing as how you're my brother and all."  
  
Ginny looked at him disgustedly. "Don't even try it." She said, to his look of protest. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? What about Hermione? If you don't intend to use that organ inside your head, I might never let you go after out."  
  
For Hermione, this settled it. Hermione loved Harry, and missed him with all her heart. And for every bit Hermione loved him, Ron probably missed and loved him 10 times more. But Ginny was the one who, without Harry, couldn't survive. The amount of love she radiated to him was more than enough to make up for his entire troubled childhood, and vise versa.  
  
If Ginny could stand waiting until morning, then Hermione definitely could.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
That night the members of the Weasley family all retired early. Ron and Hermione had had a difficult time convincing them to remain in the Burrow, and had only succeeded by pointing out that if the 'criminal mastermind' who had Harry contacted the Burrow again someone needed to be there. That, and they bribed George into putting a binding spell on his father so that he wouldn't go with them.  
  
By the time all of the convincing had been done the entire group was worn out. Unlike everyone else (or so she thought) Hermione decided to stay up. She curled up into a ball, rolled up on the couch, thinking about Harry. If they couldn't get him back- what would happen? What would the effects be on the people who cared for him?  
  
She heard a creak behind her, and turned to face the stairs. "Oh- hi Hermione. Sorry if I disturbed you." Ginny stated softly.  
  
"No way, honey. Come here." Hermione held out her comforting arms to the younger girl. "Here, I want you to keep this. Hopefully it will help you when you get upset." With this Hermione handed Ginny Harry's ring.  
  
Ginny took it gratefully. The two sat in silence for a moment, until Ginny decided to bring up a completely different subject.  
  
"Hermione?" She asked tentatively. "What's going on with you and my brother?"  
  
"W-what do you mean?" Hermione stammered.  
  
"Well, you aren't acting like you used to. You don't seem as close as you did a couple of weeks ago."  
  
"It's really nothing, Ginny. I'm just worried about Harry. I don't have time to think about Ron like that when some criminal mastermind has my best friend."  
  
Ginny backed away at Hermione's snappish tone, but she continued. "Even if the person you're thinking about in 'that way' is your other best friend, who might need you even more than Harry?"  
  
Hermione gave in. "Look, Ginny, things aren't the same anymore. I've realized a lot of things lately. Most of them about your brother. They've made me rethink our whole. . . relationship."  
  
Hermione looked down at Ron's younger sister and met a pair of inquiring eyes. "For a long time I foolishly believed that I cared for Ronald Weasley as- as more than a friend. Lately I've realized that just isn't possible. We're the best of friends, but if we tried to be any more than that we just wouldn't make it."  
  
"But you love him." Said Ginny, knowingly.  
  
"That's just it. I love him, but I'm not in love with him. Don't you get the difference? I could never be in love with somebody who would say such hurtful things to me without a second thought. And even though he doesn't react the same way I do, I say things to him that are just as hurtful. Our short fuses and quick tempers would eventually get the better of each other and just explode."  
  
Ginny was slowly shaking her head from left to right. "I'm sorry Ginny, but I can't help how I feel. I've thought about this a great deal, and all of the things he said to me- NO! Don't interrupt me, I'm not telling you what they were- were incredible hurtful. Harry would have never said anything like that to me." At the mention of his name tears fell from the cheeks of both girls.  
  
"Even Viktor was treated me better than that. Viktor had complete faith in my abilities as a witch, never doubting me, always trusting that I would pull through."  
  
"Viktor Krum never went through any of the things you and Ron faced together. He wouldn't know the meaning of the word danger if it bit him in the arse!"  
  
"All the same. . . Ron said those things, and doesn't even feel bad about it. I haven't even gotten a damn apology. I'm sorry, but I've made my decision." And with that Hermione exited the room.  
  
~~~  
  
10 feet away, in the entrance hallway of the Burrow, Ron sunk to his knees. "I've lost her," he murmured under his breath, trying to hold back the tears threatening to dampen his cheeks. As he reflected on all of the things that had happened in the last couple of days, he realized his entire world was crashing down on him.  
  
He also realized that his world hadn't started to crash down until he'd overheard her last conversation. When Harry had gone missing, he'd been upset. When he saw his sister in her present state, he'd been upset. But he realized that if Harry or Ginny were to die, or something were to happen to them, he'd feel horrible. A part of him would be missing forever, and he'd be upset for a very long time. But eventually he'd move on. If something were to happen to Hermione he didn't think he'd ever be able to move on. If she were to die he'd follow her to the grave. If she had to move, he'd move with her. If Hermione Granger was banished to Azkaban, Ron would follow her.  
  
But if Ron were to go to the store, Hermione wouldn't go with him. She cared for him as only a friend. Whatever relationship he'd thought might be budding had disintegrated. He'd ruined it. And he had no idea how to fix it.  
  
Ron spent most of the night hunched on the floor up against the wall, reflecting on the relationship they could have had.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
The next morning they left the Burrow. Ron and Hermione didn't remain true to their word- the two left early in the morning before the rest of the Weasley's were awake. They were both afraid that if they stayed any longer the rest of the family would want to go with them, and they didn't want anyone getting hurt.  
  
They used muggle transportation to get to the Dursley's, because in their 5th year an apparating charm had been placed on the house. The Ministry of Magic had placed it on the Dursley's whole neighborhood in order to protect Harry during the summers.  
  
They took the train, but said a sum total of 20 words each the entire way there. Neither of them wanted to think about past train rides, and both were apprehensive about what they would find when they reached their destination.  
  
They got off the train and sprinted to the nearest taxi. When they arrived at the Dursley's they noticed a car was in the driveway, but there was no sign of movement from within. In truth, Hermione wasn't really surprised. The Dursley's had never been very active people.  
  
Tentatively, Ron walked up to the front door and knocked. No one answered it, and he looked at Hermione questioningly. "Well, I'd say to open it." She said sarcastically.  
  
Using his wand Ron said a spell on the door. It flung open, and he felt his jaw drop in surprise. Hermione was having similar reactions, because in front of them was a shocking sight, indeed. The Dursleys were all standing there with a surprised look on their faces. Well, they were standing, but they really didn't have a choice- they had been petrified.  
  
Ron and Hermione looked at each other. "What do we do now?" "Should we un- petrify them first, or after we search the house?" Ron asked.  
  
"Well, they might have seen something useful. I mean, we definitely know now that the kidnapper was here. Let's do it." At the same time the two raised their wands and pointed them at the Dursley's. They both uttered a spell, and suddenly the room was filled with smoke.  
  
Once it had died down, Hermione looked at the Dursley's expectantly, but instead of the aggravating, rude, snobbish people she expected she found three stone figures, standing in a row. "Oh no!" She cried out.  
  
"Ron, what did you do?"  
  
"Bloody. . . what did I do?!? Why me? Why can't you have done something! All I did was utter the bloody spell!"  
  
"Oh no." Hermione groaned. "I did too- we uttered the same spell- Ron, we turned them into stone!" She looked at the family in despair. As much as she disliked them, this was not accomplishing her goal. "Why did you use the spell- you aren't even supposed to know it! No one but the main Aurors and ministers. . . " She droned off since there was no point in continuing.  
  
"Well what about you? You weren't supposed to know it either, I didn't think you'd use the spell. I learned it back in our second year. I got worried when you were petrified, and I. . . I decided to find a solution." Ron neglected to mention how finding that solution had taken him nearly all summer, and how he had refused to rest until he found a way to protect 'his 'Mione'  
  
"That's when I learned it too." Hermione said quietly. "Just in case."  
  
The two looked at each other and the Dursley's awkwardly. "What do we do now?" Ron asked. "I have no idea how to deal with people who have been turned to stone."  
  
Hermione was sitting there thinking, with a strange look on her face. Suddenly she jumped up. "I've got it!"  
  
"Got what?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
Hermione stood up and began to move towards the stairs. "Cake. . . I need to find. . . birthday cake."  
  
"Bloody hell." Ron murmured. "She really needs to sort out her priorities!" He followed her up the stairs into what he recognized as Harry's old bedroom. "Honestly, Hermione. What do you think you're doing?"  
  
She was sitting on the ground, playing with the pieces of wood that made up the floor. She shushed him. "I'm trying to find something. Ah ha, here it is." She pulled up a floorboard in the center of the room. Ron looked into the space created and saw a collection of random gadgets. "This is where he used to hide his birthday cake." Hermione explained. She pulled up a book. "And this should give us some answers. I gave it to him as a graduation present."  
  
They walked downstairs and began to flip through the book. Eventually they came across a spell to change the family back. "Are we sure we want to do this?" Ron asked, teasingly.  
  
"I guess we have to. Ok, I'll say the spell this time, just so we don't end up making it worse." Ron watched the family hopefully as Hermione said the 'magic words.' Eventually, three pairs of eyes opened. The bodies began to crack and crumble as three oversized Dursleys stepped out of their stone casings.  
  
"What's going on!" Mr. Dursley bellowed. "Someone explain this to me at once! Hey, you- I recognize you!" He shouted yelling at Ron.  
  
"Um, Hermione, I think you should handle this one." Ron said as he escaped upstairs, leaving poor Hermione to deal with the family by herself.  
  
Ron walked back into the bedroom and continued to look inside Harry's secret cubbyhole. It was filled with pictures of the trio, laughing and talking in their younger days. There were also a good deal of pictures of just Ron and Hermione. Ron made a mental note to ask Harry for one of these pictures when they found him.  
  
The hole was filled with all the random knickknacks that Harry had been forced to leave behind at the Dursley's and had never had time to go back for. They were all pretty mundane, ordinary things, except for. a glimpse of color caught the corner of Ron's eye. He turned his head and saw a box. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he felt that it had to be important, or Harry wouldn't have kept it inside his hiding place.  
  
Ron ran downstairs to tell Hermione of his find, and discovered that she was still arguing with the Dursley's. "Come on!" He whispered urgently, dragging her out of the house and slamming the door behind them.  
  
"What is it? What did you find? I was trying to get some information out of them before you rudely interrupted me, Ronald Arthur Weasley."  
  
"I'm not quite sure what this is." Ron admitted. " I found it in Harry's floor, and I thought it could be important."  
  
"Why, it's a muggle toy." Hermione said with a surprised look on her face. "This is a box, and you have to twist and turn the different sides to create a picture on all of the sides. It's like a puzzle."  
  
"Why would Harry have it in his floor?"  
  
"He wouldn't. Ron, when I was up there before this definitely wasn't in that space. I would have noticed it. Are you sure that's where you found it?"  
  
"Positive." Ron looked puzzled.  
  
"You know what that means, right? Whoever had this wanted us to find it. They planted it when we went downstairs. They were in the house with us, Ron. The entire time- they were watching us."  
  
Ron and Hermione turned to stare at Harry's open window in amazement.  
  
Ok, I hoped you guys liked that- it took me forever to write. The only way to express your feelings towards this chapter (and the others, of course) is to review, so I think you know what you need to do. =) 


	5. the key

Disclaimer- I'd lie about owning Harry Potter, but I'm too young to be carted off to jail. I'm also too young to die, and all of the H/Hr shippers would kill me if they read my version of J.K. Rowling's books. =)  
  
A/N~ This chapter has taken me a while to write, because it's a lot longer than the others. It incorporates a lot of stuff into it, so I'm gonna explain a couple of things so that nobody gets confused. First of all, Ginny loves Harry, but he never showed any signs of loving her as more than a friend/ sister until up to this point. So when Ginny is upset over Harry it's a one- sided thing. Second of all, the box/ cube/ puzzle I keep referring to is one of those boxes that you have to twist and turn until all of the pieces of the same color are on the same size, which is why I called it a puzzle. So now that you've read those lovely bits of information, on with the show!  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Ron and Hermione decided not to return to the Burrow that night. They didn't exactly think they would be welcome after they had gone to the Dursley's without telling anybody. Instead they decided to go to Diagon Alley, where they could stay in the upper rooms of the Leaky Cauldron. They Apparated to the bar, and asked the owner if he had two available rooms.  
  
"Two?" He asked, eyeing them suspiciously.  
  
"Yes." Hermione answered him firmly, indigent at the man's assumptions.  
  
"Ok then, ma'am, no need to get your panties in a twist."  
  
Ron, who was standing there silently eating a piece of bread, nearly choked on it. "Did you just mention her. . ." He stared at the man in shocked silence. The guy led them to their rooms and handed them their keys.  
  
Once he had left them alone Ron and Hermione entered their rooms. They were a lot alike, only the beds were on opposite walls in each room.  
  
Hermione flopped on her bed and looked at her watch. It was still too early to eat dinner, and there was really nothing else she felt like doing other than working on Harry's clue. "What do you propose we do?" She asked Ron.  
  
"Well, I guess we should look at this cube thing some more. Let's get our stuff put away first." Their 'stuff' actually consisted of only two bags- a backpack full of Ron's random gear and Hermione's purse, so it didn't take them much time to do this.  
  
Once they had finished they sat down on Hermione's bed and tried to decipher the box. Ron had expected the 'genius Hermione' to figure out the box within seconds but much to his dismay, she just couldn't do it. It didn't help that he kept barking orders in her ear (turn it left, no- right!) and when she told him this he came up with a plan.  
  
"If we work together we're going to keep screwing up by ruining each other's train of thoughts. We're both too tense to be able to work together rationally right now, so I say we take turns with it." Hermione reached out for the cube but Ron held it back from her. "No, Hermione. I've been watching you and you're too tired and stressed to figure this out, whether you realize it or not. I'll take the cube this afternoon, and tonight you can work on it."  
  
Hermione glared at him angrily. Seeing this, he added, "If you really don't want to leave the cube you can watch me 'work my magic.' As long as you don't try and tell me what to do I guess you could stay in here with me."  
  
Now, she had fully intended to do this until he told her that she could. But his arrogance and egotism in thinking that she would even want to watch him play with a box for hours completely turned her in the other direction.  
  
"You know what?" She asked. "I can stay in here, because this is my room. It's you who's leaving. I'll see you tonight, Ronald." And with that she sent him on his way. Seeing as how there was nothing she could to do help Harry Hermione figured that she might as well do some much needed shopping. She wasn't sure how long she was going to stay at the Leaky Cauldron, but she didn't have a single change of clothing. She didn't even have the necessities she needed to bathe!  
  
So, while Ron was sitting in his room, trying to solve the puzzle box as well as the puzzle of females, Hermione set out for Diagon Alley. She looked in old, familiar stores first. Flourish and Blotts, her personal favorite, had a few items worth coming back for, but she had more pressing matters at hand. The nearest clothing store, W & W (the Wonders of Wizarding), was only a block away. She spent a while in there, buying a few more outfits than she had intended to.  
  
Then she left Diagon Alley and went to a muggle drugstore, to get some toiletries. She could have gotten them in the Wizarding World too, but she didn't really want makeup that changed her eyes funny colors, or a toothbrush that brushed on it's own.  
  
On her way back to the Leaky Cauldron she passed Quality Quidditch Supplies, and for the first time in her life she willingly entered the store. She couldn't explain why, she just knew she had to do it. Once inside, Hermione looked around for anything that had to do with Harry. Not books about him, or his action figure (he was a very popular quidditch player), but things that would remind her of their childhood. Eventually she settled on a Chudley Cannon's book. Throughout their time in school Harry had adopted Ron's love of the team. Hugging the book to her chest she paid and walked out of the store.  
  
She walked right into someone. Hermione, startled out of her memories, looked up at the person she had hit, mumbling apologies under her breath. However, she realized that the person was grinning. "It's all right, Miss- no harm done. Now where is a pretty little lady like you going so fast?"  
  
Hermione blushed and looked up at the person again. Not bad. The guy was around her age with sandy brown hair, deep blue eyes, and perfect teeth. She tried to say something, but found she could only mumble.  
  
"Hmmm, not much of a talker, are we? Here, I'll help you with those if you'll tell me where to take them." Again, she tried to talk, but all that came out this time sounded suspiciously like the word 'tavern.'  
  
"The Leaky Cauldron? Well, then I can definitely help you, since I'm staying there as well." He grabbed her bags and began to walk in the direction of the tavern.  
  
"Hi, my name's Hermione. Thank you, by the way." She finally managed to get out.  
  
He smiled at her. "I'm Brett, it's nice to meet you, Hermione. What brings you to Diagon Alley?"  
  
The turned into the building and she responded. "Well, I'm here to try and help out a friend. But I needed to stay here overnight and I didn't bring anything with me, so. . ." She motioned to the bags in his arms. "What about you?"  
  
"Well, I'm starting a job in the ministry, in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department. I needed to get some supplies, so I decided to stay for the weekend."  
  
"You're going into the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department? I know someone who works there! Do you know-" but he cut her off. She didn't really notice as he continued talking.  
  
"Yea, it should be a good job. Did you say that you're staying for the night? That means you'll be downstairs tonight, right? For dinner?"  
  
Hermione shyly smiled. "Of course."  
  
"Great!" Brett exclaimed. "Then I'll see you there." He helped her get her bags into her room, and started to walk out. However, right before he reached the door he turned to her and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight, darling."  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Hermione watched him leave feeling some very mixed emotions. Did she like this guy like that? No, she didn't think so. He was really nice, but she didn't see him as the type she saw herself dating. They would most likely end up as good friends.  
  
But at the same time. . . it wasn't like she was getting a lot of notice from guys (actually she was, she was just to blind too see), and it felt nice for a change. 'At least someone appreciates me!' She thought, glaring at the door connecting her and Ron's room. And with that she began to get ready.  
  
~~~  
  
'How dare she?' He wondered. How could she do something like that while he was slaving away trying to save their best friend? 'I spend all day working on a cube, and I go to get some ice, and she's practically making out with some guy in the hallway! Ok, so they weren't exactly making out, but it was still bad. Hermione, MY HERMIONE, was actually giggling!'  
  
Ron was besides himself when he returned to his room, after witnessing Brett help Hermione get her stuff into hers. He admitted to himself that she really didn't have anything else to do, but it still hurt that she was out with that other guy. Ron sighed, and decided that he had better get ready for dinner, so that Hermione didn't get mad at him for being late, and compare him to her new friend.  
  
He wore the one outfit that made him irresistible to every female he knew. Everyone except the one he actually wanted, that is. He knocked on her door and was immediately glad that he had worn his 'best,' because when Hermione opened the door, she looked radiant. Her hair was up and twisted in a way that made Ron suspect magic, and her clothing perfectly outlined the curves on her body. Even her makeup was done exceptionally well.  
  
The two began to walk down the stairs to the restaurant, and he finally gained the courage to compliment her. "Hermione, you look amazing. Absolutely beautiful."  
  
"Why thank you, and you look- Brett!"  
  
She left his side and ran to a guy standing by the bar. That should have been the first sign of trouble. Strangers who stand by bars are not generally the best kind of guys. She sat down next to him and the two began chatting. Ron had to get her away from the new guy, so he used the dirtiest tactic he could think of. "Hermione, I believe this is yours now." He placed the cube in her hand, knowing that nothing could distract her from it.  
  
"Oh, already? Ok then, Ron." Hermione turned and began to work on the cube. Unfortunately Brett continued to talk to her. She told him that it wasn't a good time, and that she had something she needed to do, but he'd had a little too much to drink and kept persisting.  
  
Eventually Brett ignored her pleas completely and pulled her up to dance. "Hey buddy, she said she doesn't want to right now." Ron cut in.  
  
"Yes she does. . . she just doesn't know it" Jeeze, the guy was practically slobbering on himself.  
  
"Ron, it's ok." Hermione said gently. "We're going to go sit down again, ok Brett?" But Brett continued talking.  
  
"Did I tell you that I'm getting a job? I have to work for some crackpot boss though, hopefully I can get him fired once I get there, I hear he breaks a lot of rules."  
  
'Wait a second,' Hermione thought. "What was this guys name again?" She peered at Brett closely.  
  
"Arthur Weasel, or something like that. I'm not quite sure." The poor guy never saw it coming. Hermione calmly reached to the nearest table and picked up a large jug of water, dumping it over Brett's head. Then she turned and walked back to the bar. With that, it was over.  
  
She sat down and picked up the cube, continuing her work. Because of this she never saw Ron, um. . . dispose. . . of her new friend. Dispose of him in the nearest alley, that is.  
  
~~~  
  
After hours of work proved fruitless, Hermione became irritable. And the favorite thing for her and Ron to do when they were irritable was fight. They began to argue about where her loyalties lay, with Brett or Harry. Ron wouldn't listen to her when she explained that she never intended to see Brett again. The continued their argument until they heard chuckling coming from he other side of the bar. Looking up they saw. . .  
  
"Neville!" Hermione yelled, jumping up and hugging him. "What are you doing here- how are you?"  
  
"I'm the bartender here, I just got on duty." The three friends laughed and caught up until eventually Neville noticed the box in front of Hermione. "Are you trying to figure that one out? I can do them in minutes." He boasted proudly.  
  
Hermione looked at him in shock. "Really? Do it, please- hurry, Neville, hurry."  
  
"Bloody. . . all right then, as long as you stop." Hermione shut up, and within two minutes Neville called out to them. "Ok, only one more turn needs to be made. You can do it."  
  
He handed it to Ron, who slowly began to turn it. Once it clicked into place, he set it on the counter. The center of the box slowly sunk in, and Hermione gasped as a picture was projected into the air.  
  
"It's a key." Ron said, with a look of shock on his face. "How the bloody hell are we supposed to know what to do with a key?"  
  
"I recognize that!" Neville exclaimed. "I've seen it before."  
  
"What!?! When?" Hermione asked him.  
  
"Harry Potter had a key just like that in his hand a couple weeks ago when he was in here- except his had a heart engraved in it. He spent all night just holding it, with a strange smile on his face. I seriously thought he'd gone mental."  
  
"What? Neville, do you know what this means?" Hermione asked, throwing her arms around him.  
  
"Um, no actually. What does it mean?"  
  
"Nevermind, Neville. It's not important. Just remember how much you helped us!"  
  
She turned to Ron, who's look of excitement rivaled only her own. 'I'd hug him too, if he wasn't such an arrogant prick.' She thought to herself. He looked at her with his eyes twinkling. "I guess it's time to go back to Harry's."  
  
~~~  
  
The two stood up and Apparated, and as Hermione saw the familiar swirl of lights she reflected on how much shy, quiet, clumsy Neville had changed. 'In school he would have never been able to solve that puzzle,' she thought to herself.  
  
As she reflected more she realized that everyone had changed since Hogwarts. Not always in a huge way, like Neville, but in many different ways, based on their character. 'And not everyone has changed for the better,' she thought disgustedly, thinking of Ron.  
  
Finally, Hermione opened her eyes. She was standing in the living room of Harry's flat. She turned to look for Ron, who called out to her from the kitchen.  
  
The two agreed to search for the key that Neville had told them about. "I'll go look over here." Hermione said, motioning to an entire side of Harry's flat. The two looked for hours. In every drawer, under every bed, and inside each box. Neither of them remembered seeing a key the first time they were there, but then again, they hadn't been looking for it.  
  
"Hermione!" Ron called her name from Harry's bedroom. "Why don't we take a little break, and discuss where we've searched already?" He looked out of the door and saw Hermione walking towards him, dejectedly. 'Well, we can't have that.' He thought to himself. He decided to find a way to cheer her up. Unfortunately he had a slightly different view of what was cheering, having grown up in a house with Fred and George.  
  
Hermione walked towards Harry's room, peeking inside for Ron. This was where he had called her from, wasn't it? "I wonder if he found the key!" She whispered to herself excitedly. She walked into the room totally oblivious to what was coming her way. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and lift her into the air.  
  
"Ron! HELP ME!!!" She screamed, while trying to escape from the intruder. She began to punch and kick her attacker, with no avail. Eventually she was reduced to pulling his hair. His red hair. She stopped immediately. "Ron?" She asked, looking down at him. He grinned at her, and she began to kick again.  
  
"No fair, I wasn't ready!" He exclaimed, tossing her onto the bed. Unfortunately he tossed her a little to hard and the mattress flew off of the bed, taking Hermione along with it.  
  
"Ron!" She screamed, "What's wrong with you, you git? I could have been killed! Why do you always have to be such a prat?" She would have continued, but she noticed that he wasn't paying attention. He was busy staring at something on the bed.  
  
Hermione sat up. "What is it, Ron?" She looked at where he was staring. "Ron, it's the key! It was stuck between the two mattresses!"  
  
"Gee, Hermione- really?" He said, sarcastically. She didn't even pretend to be hurt.  
  
"Ron, you did it, you found it!" She walked over to his side of the bed and looked at the key. "Look, it even has a heart carved into the center, just like Neville said! And it's a match of the key we found in the box!"  
  
Ron stood up and turned around. "Ok, so what do we do with the key now that we have it? Do you have any idea what it could go to?" There was no response, so he tried again. "Hermione- do you have an idea? Hermione?" He turned around, but she was gone.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Hermione looked around. She was surrounded by flowers of all kinds. Roses of all colors, violets, daisies, lilacs- they were all there. 'Where am I?' She wondered. She'd never seen his place before, she didn't even know it existed. Hermione pulled out her wand, in case it was a trap. "Ron? Are you here too? Ron, answer me!" There was no response so she figured that she had to be alone.  
  
She tried to remember how she'd gotten to the garden she was in. 'All I remember is reaching for the heart on the key. . .  
  
Ron tried not to panic. 'Where is she?' He thought, as he began to panic. "Hermione, Hermione where are you? Come back, this isn't funny! Hermione!" He walked over to where she had been standing previously. 'What was she doing? She wouldn't have Apparated anywhere without telling me.' Ron looked closely at the key. 'Bloody hell, it couldn't be!' He closed his eyes and reached for the key, holding it tightly.  
  
Ron opened his eyes. He was surrounded by a sea of. . . flowers? "Where the hell am I?" He asked himself.  
  
"I've been asking myself that one for quite a while now. Took you long enough." Hermione responded. Ron turned and gaped at her. She was sitting in a field of flowers, sprawled out so that the lilacs perfectly framed her face. The perfect vision of beauty.  
  
"So where are we?" He asked her.  
  
"I have no idea. I've been looking around, and so far all I see is a field of flowers. Do you know how we got here?"  
  
"Well, I think that the key in Harry's bed was a Portkey, but I'm not sure. It's the last thing I touched before I was transported here."  
  
"Me too. Ok, so we know how we got here- the only question is how we should get out. I've tried to Apparate- it won't work."  
  
"Then I guess we should explore or something. Do you know anything about where we are? Or have you just been lounging in the flowers all day?" Ron could have sworn that he heard her mutter something under her breath. It sounded suspiciously like, "stupid git," but he couldn't be sure.  
  
"Look to the left. That's where the flowers end on that side, at the huge wall. In all other directions they go on for as far as I can see. I guess we should go see if there are any clues by the wall." She pointed to a huge brick wall, too high to climb over and started walking towards it.  
  
"I don't see anything." Hermione looked at Ron disgustedly.  
  
"Ron, stop talking." She began to follow the wall, stopping at random intervals to look at cracks and spaces. "Hey Ron, what's this?" He stood there motionless. "Bloody. . . Fine, Ron. You can talk."  
  
"Thank you." He said smiling, ignoring the looks she was giving him.  
  
"What do you think this hole is? It's not a crack or anything, it's supposed to be there." Ron looked at the space in the wall with confusion.  
  
"It's such a weird shape. It looks like it's meant to hold something, but what?" He looked at it for a minute and then snapped his fingers. "I've got it!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the cube. "Look, Hermione- it's the perfect size!" He placed the box inside the space, and took a step back. Suddenly, a burst of light shone out of the hole, creating the image of a heart. "Damn, this box is just full of surprises." Ron said, trying to remain humorous.  
  
The two stood staring at the heart, not quite sure what to make of it. Suddenly, Hermione broke the silence. "Wait a second, this is beginning to make sense."  
  
Ron gaped at her. "Are you loony? How, in any way, does this make sense?"  
  
Hermione sighed in frustration. "Think about it Ron. Harry doesn't have a lot of time to himself, right? And he definitely doesn't have a private life with all those crazy reporters following him everywhere. We found a key that he had hidden from everyone, even us, and the key had a heart engraved on it. Then it turns out that the key is a Portkey and it brings us to the most beautiful garden I have ever seen, separated from the rest of the population, but definitely made for more than one person."  
  
"So you think that Harry and his girlfriend created this place?" Ron cut in.  
  
"It would make sense."  
  
"But Harry doesn't have a girlfriend. He would have told us if he did."  
  
"Not necessarily. You know that the press follows all of his relationships, usually ruining them. Maybe he and his. . . girlfriend are just trying to hide it from everyone. I just don't know who she could be."  
  
Suddenly Ron collapsed to the ground. "No wonder he didn't tell me!" He exclaimed.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked him, critically.  
  
"It all makes sense now! The secret place, how he got here, even who he shares it with." Hermione stood there openmouthed, waiting for him to continue. "Ginny has this book that Harry gave her in her 6th year. It's a book he wrote about all of her favorite flowers. Lilacs, roses, daisies; look, they're all here!" He pointed to the flowers surrounding him. "We all know that Ginny loves Harry, what if he feels the same way?"  
  
"That would explain why he didn't tell us." Hermione interrupted, slowly catching on. "The poor boy was probably afraid you would knock his face in for even considering dating your sister." They continued to walk along the length of the wall, until Hermione stopped suddenly. "What's that up there?"  
  
Ron ran to the spot she was pointing to. "They're broomsticks. Matching ones with letters on them." "Maybe they're initials, Ron. What are they?"  
  
"H.P and G.W. Hermione, we were right." The pair stood in silence, looking around them at the heaven on earth Harry and Ginny had created together.  
  
"You have to admit they had a great idea with this place. Harry and Ginny could come here whenever they wanted to see each other, without having to worry about the press or his 'loyal fans.' All of their favorite things are here, and because they could leave together no one would even notice they were gone."  
  
Ron nodded in agreement. "But why would the madman who has Harry lead us here? What's the point?" He looked up and saw something moving towards them in the air. The owl (for that's what it was) flew over and landed next to Ron. He grabbed the note attached to its foot and opened it.  
  
~~~  
  
Ronald~  
  
Where are you? Please, please come home, we need you. Your sister has gone missing. I went to get her out of bed this morning and she wasn't there. We found some clues, but, oh Ron, just come home!  
  
Love, Mum  
  
~~~  
  
Ron looked at the paper grimly. Hermione couldn't do anything other than stare at it in shock. "Ron, do you think, has she been. . ."  
  
"I don't know." Ron said simply, "But we need to get out of here." He ran back to the section of the wall where he had placed the small box. "I wonder if this box has anything we need to know in it." He pulled it out of the wall and the ground began to swirl. Soon, both he and Hermione found themselves back in Harry's apartment.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
They quickly Apparated to the Burrow. Ron had the same grim look on his face he'd had while reading the letter. He didn't look incredibly upset, just really angry. When he and Hermione arrived at the Burrow they were enveloped in a sea of hugs. Not hugs given as a greeting, but hugs given by a sea of people reaching out for assurance that their sister or daughter was safe.  
  
Molly Weasley led Ron and Hermione up to Ginny's room. There was no sign of a struggle, however there was one vital clue that caused for alarm. On the wall above her bed, right next to the spot where her head would be when she slept, was a snake carved into the wall. It was tiny, but it was there. When Ron spotted it he nearly collapsed.  
  
However there were enough Weasleys about to collapse at that time, so he tried to remain calm. He and Hermione reassured his family that Ginny was safe, with Harry somewhere. "She's probably happier now than before anyway." Hermione whispered to Ron.  
  
Unfortunately Fred and George both had ears like a cat, and they heard her little comment. "What do you mean she's probably happier now?" Fred asked. "What are you trying to say?"  
  
Ron began to explain what they had found out about Harry and Ginny's relationship. "At least they're together." He told his family. "And when Hermione and I find Harry we'll find Ginny as well. Now, it's been a long day. I suggest that everyone get to sleep."  
  
~~~  
  
Hermione lay awake in her bed. 'I'm not going to get to sleep anytime soon.' She thought to herself. 'And I really want a glass of water. . .' She began to walk downstairs, but stopped midway when she saw a figure sitting on the couch. 'I thought I was the only one up.'  
  
The person didn't turn around as Hermione continued down the stairs, they didn't even notice she was there. "Ron?" She whispered, walking towards him. The head turned, and she gasped. She almost wished that it wasn't Ron, that there was a stranger sitting on the Weasley's couch.  
  
He looked horrible. His body was wet with perspiration, there were tears in his eyes, his clothing was disheveled, and his hair was a mess. He looked completely discombobulated.  
  
Hermione sat down next to him. "Are you ok?"  
  
He looked at her with a pained face. "'Mione, please. I need your help. We have to find them. Please, 'Mione- I need you." Hermione was touched by the use of her nickname. He hadn't used it since the night they had fought at Hogwarts. In that moment, everything changed. Life became almost normal for Hermione. She ceased hating Ron, and began to think of him as she had before. As her best friend, her comrade, her protector.  
  
She wrapped her arms around him, comforting him soothingly. "We'll find her, Ron. Harry too. We'll find them both and bring them home unharmed, I promise." The two spent the rest of the night comforting each other on the couch, their arms intertwined.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Whew- I'm done. I really hoped you guys liked that chapter- I worked on it forever. I know it was kind of long, and it might have been hard to get through. The only way I'll know your opinion on it is if you review! PLEASE give me feedback, I'll try to adjust my writing to what you want to read.  
  
Review!  
  
By the way-  
  
Kaelli Karali- no, your idea was not stupid. I actually considered that while writing the first chapter of this story, but no- Harry's not just hiding to get them together. That would be going a little too far, since Ron and Hermione are both really worried about him.  
  
Lost Dove- your reviews are all amazing! Thank you so much, you are officially my favorite reviewer, because you give me the kind that keep me updating. Thank you so much~  
  
~Sugar High 


	6. running away

Hey. Ok, guys- if you're reading this, you must seriously be one of the most faithful readers ever. Since my computer sucks =(, it decided not to let me onto the Internet for the last two weeks. Therefor, I couldn't get the chapter posted. So, a HUGE thanks goes out to Beka, for the use of her computer. (If you guys like this chapter, you should thank her too). =D  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter, or. . . basically anything else. Ya da ya da ya da  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Hermione sighed for the five hundredth time that day. It was three days since Ginny had disappeared, they had no clues to go on, no one they knew could help them, and the only thing the Weasleys were doing was moping about the house.  
  
"Molly, you really should rest." Hermione tried to convince her. In truth, what Mrs. Weasley needed was to do something- to work off the anxiety, but Hermione really didn't want the woman following her about all day.  
  
"No thanks, dear. I'm ok, I just need to think about where she could have gone." Hermione sighed again, and escaped to the kitchen. . . away from Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"Ron!" She exclaimed gratefully, thankful for some sane company. "Did you get their note? What did they- " He silenced her, covering her mouth with his hand. The two had been waiting for an owl from Ginny's best friends for days. They were the last hope. if Ginny wasn't with them, then she had definitely been kidnapped.  
  
"Do you want them all to hear? They'll go absolutely loony! Yes, I did get the note, but I haven't read it yet, I- " Hermione never got to hear the end of his sentence, for as he said this the room was bombarded by the entire Weasley clan. They were everywhere!  
  
"Did you say that you got the note? Well, where is it?" Fred demanded.  
  
"What did it say, is she there? What's going on?" Mrs. Weasley was close to a breakdown.  
  
George was trying to grab the note from Ron's hand, and Mr. Weasley had collapsed into the nearest chair.  
  
"QUIET!" Ron screamed. "Shut your bloody mouths!" The entire family was so taken aback by Ron's harsh tone that the chaos instantly stopped. "No, I haven't read it yet, and if you don't all bloody leave me alone, I'm going to throw it into the fire!" He gestured to the fireplace threatening.  
  
The rest of the Weasleys sat down submissively. Ron opened the note, and read it to himself. "Hell." He muttered, under his breath.  
  
Hermione sunk down into her chair. "So she's not with them?" And with those words the chaos resumed just as easily as it had ended.  
  
"What are we going to do? She could be anywhere!" Screamed one of the twins.  
  
"My baby, my little girl." Moaned Mr. Weasley.  
  
"What are you going to do? You have to do something!" Percy shrieked.  
  
"I AM going to do something!" Ron yelled, raising his voice once again. "I'm leaving."  
  
~~~  
  
The family was once again shocked into submission. "What do you mean?" His mother asked, meekly.  
  
Tears filled his eyes. "I'm sorry. I just can't think around here. I need- I need to leave."  
  
"Young man, we need you here. You can't just abandon us now! Where would you go, anyway?"  
  
"I'm not abandoning you, I'm trying to help! I'll owl you when I reach my destination." He turned to Hermione. "'Mione, would you like to come?"  
  
"Would I ever." She muttered, under her breath as she took a step towards him. Smiling, she turned to the Weasleys. "Ron's just upset- don't worry. We're going to get ready for lunch, we'll be back in a little while."  
  
"Excuse me!" He mouthed to her silently as they exited the room. "What do you mean, 'Ron's just upset'? Ron's more than upset, he's leaving!"  
  
"I know." She whispered, silencing him. "But they can't see us leave. This way, they might not even notice that we're gone until later tonight."  
  
Ron turned to her and grasped her tightly in a hug. "Thanks, 'Mione." He took a step back and she smiled up at him.  
  
"'Twas nothing." She said jokingly. "Besides, I refuse to leave my clothes in yet another place- I'm getting rather tired of buying new ones."  
  
The two went upstairs and gathered up their things; as they were about to leave they heard a knock on Ron's bedroom door. "Hello? You guys in there?" Asked Fred.  
  
"Oh no!" Ron mouthed. "What now?"  
  
Slowly, Hermione looked from Ron to the door, glancing back and forth between the two. "Hello? Ron, are you in there? Come on, mum says it's time for lunch!"  
  
Ron looked at Hermione urgently, as she tried to make a decision. "Ronnikins, you know I can unlock your door, so stop sulking and come to lunch!" As Fred spoke, Hermione's decision was made for her. Launching herself at Ron, she wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him fiercely. A slight crash emitted from the room when the two fell backwards onto his bed, but Hermione didn't stop.  
  
"'Mione," Ron said softly, "'Mione, what are you doing?"  
  
"Oh, Ron!" She moaned softly and pressed her body closer to his. This caused Ron to moan, and kiss her back passionately.  
  
"Oh. Um, I'm. . . I'm sorry. I'll just. . . go downstairs." They heard an embarrassed Fred mutter. As he said this Hermione let go of Ron and threw herself next to him on the bed, trying to suppress her laughter. With twinkling eyes, Ron grabbed her hand and Apparated the duo outside the Burrow. As her eyes became filled with the vision of trees and flowers, she let herself go.  
  
Ron looked down at the girl besides him, laughing like a madwoman. Eventually he gave in and began laughing too. "'Mione, you really are a genius. I always knew you were smart, but that was bloody brilliant!"  
  
"Don't, swear." She gasped, between laughs.  
  
Eventually, the laughter died down. Hermione looked at Ron. "So where do you want to go?"  
  
"I thought we should go back to Hogwarts. We might find something we missed."  
  
Hermione looked down at her watch. "In ten minutes the Hogwarts Express leaves Platform 9 ¾. We'd better hurry."  
  
Gathering up their wits the two Apparated to the station, barely making the 1:30 train. Climbing aboard they discovered that the only compartment still available was the one the two had frequently occupied during their seven years at Hogwarts.  
  
Silently, they settled into the compartment, Hermione pulling a pillow out from under her seat and Ron pulling out the latest edition of Quidditch Weekly. The train began to move, and Hermione began to reflect on one of the many ironies of her life. The fact that she was acting when she received the best kiss she'd ever had. 'The. what?" She asked herself. Cursing herself for thinking that way she dismissed those thoughts, and began to reflect on something else entirely.  
  
"Ron."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You called me brilliant."  
  
"I guess I did, 'Mione."  
  
"Well. . . thanks." And with that, she fell asleep.  
  
Ron looked at her. "Damn Fred." He muttered to himself. He had the worst timing in the world! Why couldn't he have come two minutes later, after they had already left? Then he wouldn't have had to have his little make- out session with Hermione. Not that he'd minded, of course. But it was another little reminder of that which he would never have.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
The train rolled in to Hogwarts as Hermione was waking up. She looked at the seat across from her and saw that Ron had also fallen asleep, his long forgotten copy of Quidditch Weekly lying haphazardly on the floor.  
  
Gently she shook him awake. "Ron, we're here."  
  
"What? No, Fred. George, go away!"  
  
"Ron!" She whispered, urgently.  
  
"Huh?" He opened his eyes. "Oh, hello, 'Mione." Shaking her head at him she began to gather up her things. When they got off the train he asked her a question. "Now, do you want to go to Hogwarts or Hogsmead? We haven't gone there yet, maybe we can ask around for clues."  
  
She kept her eyes glued to the ground, but replied firmly. "No, Ron. I'm not ready to go back there yet. As of right now it's only a last resort."  
  
"Ok." He agreed grudgingly. "So, do you think our room is still available?"  
  
Hermione looked at Ron incredulously. His ability to just change topics on a whim would never cease to infuriate her, although right then it was much appreciated. "Probably. We never told Dumbledore how long we'd be gone."  
  
They walked up the stairs to where their room had been. As they entered, they saw that the only difference in how it had been left was that the room was cleaner and there were chocolates on the pillows.  
  
Amazingly, Hermione ignored this little showing of house-elf- ism, and explained to Ron that one of them should tell Dumbledore of their return.  
  
"Yea. One of us should tell him. . . about Ginny, I mean."  
  
"I'll go Ron. You should write to your parents, so that they don't send the National Guard after us."  
  
"The who?"  
  
"Nevermind, Ron. Just go." And with that she began her trek to Dumbledore's office.  
  
~~~  
  
When she reached her destination she knocked on the door. As she was about to call out to Professor Dumbledore she heard a voice. "Come in, Ms. Granger, it's unlocked."  
  
Slowly she opened the door. "How did you. . ." Hermione saw the twinkle in his eye and decided that she didn't even want to know how he knew it was her.  
  
"So, what clues have you found to lead you here?" Dumbledore asked curiously.  
  
"That's just the problem. We haven't found anything." She proceeded to tell him her entire story, leaving out certain unimportant details (*cough* Brett* cough*). When she finished his face was grave.  
  
"This is certainly very serious." She gaped at him. Hadn't he thought it was serious before Ginny was taken? "Mr. Potter being taken is also serious, of course, but honestly I expected that it would happen one day. He has so many enemies, and there are so many death eaters still out there, it was quite inevitable." The old man had a far away look in his eyes. He quickly looked down at her. "Did you ever think that the person responsible might be after more than just Harry? Don't you think that my taking Ginny the person knew they were harming you and Mr. Weasley also?"  
  
Hermione was speechless. How could she have missed that? She looked up at Dumbledore, who had risen and was fixing his robes. "Now, I'm sorry dear, but it has come to my attention that I have a meeting with the ministry very shortly. I'm glad you and Mr. Weasley are back, let me know if I can be of any service to you." And with that he was gone.  
  
Hermione stood up slowly; she had to tell Ron about this!  
  
~~~  
  
When she reached the owlery there was no one in sight. 'I wonder where he could have gone.' She thought to herself. However, she saw the telltale sign of Ron in the corner, on the floor. "Hey." She said softly, looking at the red hair that had given him away.  
  
"Hey yourself." He said, starting to get up.  
  
"Don't bother," she said softly, settling down next to him. "So what's on your mind?" He didn't comment, so she decided to continue for him. "I know you're worried about Ginny, Ron. Just remember, she's wherever Harry is- he'll keep her safe."  
  
He moaned. "That's the problem. Who knows where Harry is? He could be in some forgotten section of Azkaban, or in some torture chamber. He's the great Harry Potter- he can handle that, but poor Gin- she's just a little girl. Imagine what they could do to her!" He began to sob.  
  
Hermione began rubbing her hand in small circles on his back. "Gin's not just a little girl anymore, Ron. She'll be ok. I promise."  
  
"It's not just her Hermione." He broke into sobs again. "Harry was fine on his own. He's tough, we both know that he can fend for himself. But if Ginny's there they'll be able to threaten him with things worse than death. He'll be more vulnerable. They could do anything to him."  
  
By this point tears were rolling down Hermione's cheeks as well, but she was bound and determined not to let Ron see them. "It'll be ok. It has to be ok." She said, continuing to rub his back. "If Harry's more vulnerable we'll just have to find him sooner, that's all." The tears were pouring down her face now.  
  
Ron turned to her and hugged her. "Thank you. Thanks for everything." The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes, but neither one of them found the silence uncomfortable. They were sitting quite close, but Ron didn't feel like he had earlier that day, in his room. He felt contented. This was a simple reminder of why he loved Hermione. Everything about their conversation was a reminder of why he loved her. She was perfect.  
  
Hermione sat contentedly in the straw of the owlery. Ron was an amazing friend. He shared her fears, and her hopes, and he actually believed in her. It was nice to have someone to talk to again; she was so relieved that their fight was over. She continued to sit there until the door burst open.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
She looked up. A little boy was rushing to the nearest owl, note in hand. "Hello." She said softly. "What's the rush?" The little boy looked down at her, barely pausing from what he was doing.  
  
"I'm sending a note to Alex's parents, to tell them what happened."  
  
"Alex? Who's that? And what did happen?" Ron asked, curiously.  
  
"She's the Gryffindor keeper- she was just hit hard in the head by a bludger."  
  
"Where is she?" Hermione asked hurriedly.  
  
"Why, with Madame Pomfrey of course."  
  
The two rose and rushed to the hospital wing. When they got there, they saw that the little boy's assessment of the girl's condition had been correct. Madame Pomfrey was using a spell to wipe the blood off of the girl's face. When Hermione entered she looked up. "Poor Alex here was hit in the face by a bludger during a quidditch game."  
  
"Lemme guess." Ron muttered. "They were playing Slytherin."  
  
"Why, yes, actually." The medi-witch looked surprised. "Hermione darling, you work at the hospital, right?"  
  
"Yes- in the children's ward."  
  
"Good, can you sit with her for a moment? I need to explain to Professor Dumbledore what happened." Without waiting for a response, Madame Pomfrey turned and exited the room.  
  
Sitting down next to the bed Hermione looked at the girl's tattered Gryffindor robes. "Poor thing." She mumbled.  
  
Ron pulled out his wand and muttered a spell that instantly fixed the robes. "Wow." He said, looking around. "When we were younger this place always seemed so bloody big. It was practically the center of our lives, we were in here so much." Hermione didn't respond- she had a troubled look on her face, so Ron took the time to remember some of the most important things in his life that had happened there.  
  
One seemed to stand out. He wasn't surprised. In his second year, when Hermione had been petrified, he had spent weeks in the hospital wing. There was a couch in the corner of the room, and during that time period he had spent more nights on that couch than he had in his bed.  
  
That was when he'd realized that he loved her. Of course, at the time he didn't know it was love, after all, he was only 12 years old, but eventually he'd figured it out. Since then it had been a daily part of his life. Whether he thought about it or not, it was always there- the fact that he loved Hermione.  
  
Who, by the way, was having very similar thoughts. Her mind drifted to their seventh year, when Ron had been in his coma. Six months. Six bloody months she had spent in that place, just waiting, wondering whether or not her best friend would survive. A lot of people had wondered why she'd stayed in the hospital wing once Harry was released. After all, like a news article in Witches Weekly asked, "Once the great Harry Potter was safe, why waste her time on that Weasley kid?"  
  
"Because." She had responded. "He is my best friend." And she had meant it too. As she and the boys grew up, Harry grew quieter and quieter- probably as a result of one too many Voldemort scares. This left her with no one to talk to but Ron. Over their last two years at Hogwarts Hermione and Ron had become closer than either of them ever had with Harry.  
  
Newspapers had taken that wrongly too, saying that 'the fabulous trio had been broken up.' No, it hadn't been broken up, it was just different. Harry was still one of Hermione's best friends, she was just closer to Ron. And when Ron had been inches from death, lying in a hospital bed, Hermione had felt the need to stay by his side.  
  
She pushed the thought from her head. Those were memories she didn't want to face. Not now, not ever. Madame Pomfrey reentered the room. "Thank you, Hermione dear. Mr. Weasley, are you ok? You look perturbed. I would think that you of all people would be used to this place by now." She bustled around the room. "You two can stay if you wish, but there's really no point. Alex should be waking up any minute now, and after that she'll be fine."  
  
The two got up, and left the room. "I think it's time for dinner. Shall we go to the Great Hall?" Ron nodded, and they set off down the stairs. Unfortunately on the second floor they found themselves in the middle of a really big puddle. "Oh no!" Hermione groaned, as she recognized a familiar wailing headed in their direction.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
"Maybe we'd better go to her, so she doesn't scare all of the first years." Ron suggested. So the two jumped over the puddle and entered the girl's bathroom.  
  
"Waaaahaaaaaa!"  
  
"Can you tell what she's crying about? It's hard to hear over all that wailing!" Hermione shouted.  
  
"I have no bloody idea." Ron said, as he looked incredulously at the figure hovering above them. "Myrtle, haven't you left yet? I mean, honestly, it's been years!"  
  
"Years, and not once have you come to visit me!" She continued to wail. "I've waited for you to come back, I waited and waited, but you never came!"  
  
"Now Myrtle, Ron has a very busy life, and he's really important. You can't expect him to come see you all the time!"  
  
"Life? Life?" She screeched. "How dare you mention life! That's why you didn't come, isn't it, Ron? Because I'm not alive! It's not my fault."  
  
Ron looked at Hermione. "What do we do now?" He mouthed.  
  
"Now you're keeping secrets from me?" Myrtle continued to wail. "When you came back I thought you'd have the decency to at least come and visit me, but no! You left again, and I flooded the bathroom for days! Now you finally come back and I think it's to see me, but you go and visit Alex Morgan! You don't even know her, and you care about her more than me, just because SHE'S ALIVE!"  
  
"But, Myrtle, we tried to visit you when we came back, but she needed our help. We didn't think you'd mind if we waited another half an hour to see you."  
  
"That's just the problem! That's what everyone says, 'we didn't think you'd mind, Myrtle.' And then they walk all over me!"  
  
Ron did some quick thinking to try and save the situation. "Myrtle, uh, actually we came because we need your help." This shut her up.  
  
"You what?"  
  
"Yeah, uh, you know that other boy who was always with us? Well, he's missing, and we'd like to know if you can tell us anything about where he could be."  
  
Again, Myrtle burst into tears. "Why don't you ask your tiny friend? I'm sure you like him more than me!" With that, she flew into the nearest stall and slammed the door on their faces.  
  
Hermione sighed. "Lets go, Ron."  
  
The two continued on their forgotten trek to the Great Hall. However, when they reached it people were beginning to file out. "Bloody. . . Are you telling me we missed dinner again!?"  
  
"Looks like it. Well, we could always have a really big breakfast tomorrow- "  
  
"Come on, 'Mione." Ron said disgustedly. "I'm not going to let you starve." And with that he dragged her to the huge picture of the fruit, and into the home of the house elves.  
  
"Ronald Weasley, let me go! I'm not going to bother those poor creatures anymore than they already are! Let's go!"  
  
"I can't." Ron said grimly.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I just figured something out."  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
"What?" Hermione demanded.  
  
"Our tiny friend. Who else would it be?"  
  
"Dobby." She gasped. "But where is he? I haven't seen him since we got back."  
  
The two began milling through the house elves, looking for Dobby and asking if anyone had seen him. Suddenly Ron heard Hermione gasp. He turned to see what was wrong and saw a tiny figure in front of her, huddled close to the ground, but swaying back and forth, as he repeated the same rhyme over and over again.  
  
~~~  
  
Amusement comes from every angle  
  
Multiplied by two  
  
If you don't figure this clue out  
  
The joke will be on you  
  
~~~  
  
After about the fifth time, Ron bent down to shake Dobby. "Stop it. Stop it, what's wrong with you? Dobby, are you ok? Hello?" He snapped his head up as if waking from a trance.  
  
"Where am I? Where is Harry? Is the great Harry Potter safe?"  
  
"Not yet, Dobby." Ron said, grimly. He then proceeded to explain to Dobby what had happened.  
  
"NO!" Dobby shouted. He began to bang his head on the nearest hard surface- the floor. "Bad Dobby, bad Dobby."  
  
"Hurry, help him, before he hurts himself!" Hermione shouted.  
  
"Dobby, no!" They continued to fight with him, and honesty compels me to admit it took them longer to stop them then they had thought it would. It's amazing how intent an elf can be on hurting itself.  
  
Finally, when they had calmed him down, he explained. "Dobby had to hurt himself for reverting to old ways, sir. He's sorry- it won't happen again."  
  
"Who told you to tell us that, Dobby?" Hermione asked gently.  
  
"Dobby cannot tell, Dobby cannot tell!" He cried, as he began to get spastic again.  
  
"It's ok, Dobby." Ron said quickly. "Thanks for your help."  
  
They walked back to the main hallway. "So what do you think about that?" Hermione asked Ron.  
  
"I think some sick prat gave the poor little guy orders, and it's against his code to tell us who. Why, what do you think?"  
  
"I think we need to pay a little visit to Fred and George." Hermione said slowly, as she began to walk towards the exit, practically singing the rhyme Dobby had given them.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Well, that's it for this chapter. I'm truly sorry that it took me so long to get up, I promise the next chapter will be up as soon as possible. I was going to write a thank you to the reviewers, but I thought you guys would prefer the actual story. So. . . I'll be sure to write it into the next chapter.  
  
Also, If you have a story posted, and review mine, I promise I'll r/r yours. A lot of them I'm reading already~ unfortunately the whole lack of Internet thing has made it rather difficult to do that lately. So, I'll review yours and update mine ASAP. =) PLEASE REVIEW!!! Look, they made an entire button for it! Put it to good use, please.  
  
Happiness, Love, and Sugar Cubes  
  
~ Sugar High 


	7. rita skeeter

Disclaimer- Believe me, if I owned Harry Potter you'd all know it, because I would have Ron married to me!  
  
Chapter 7  
  
The clues were getting easier. Ron wasn't quite sure why that worried him, but it did. Somewhere, deep down, he knew that if they were getting easier it meant that the person who had his sister and his best friend wanted him to find them. The clues becoming easier meant he was getting closer to the end.  
  
Hermione hadn't quite caught on to that yet. She was just happy that they had solved another clue and were now on their way to Fred and George's shop, which was located somewhere in Diagon Alley.  
  
"Ron, what do you think we're going to find?" Hermione asked, as they stepped off of the Hogwarts Express and once again entered the London station.  
  
"I'm not sure. Maybe the twins know something they aren't telling us." They got into a cab that would take them near the entrance of Diagon Alley to finish the discussion.  
  
"I really don't think they would hide anything from us on purpose. Maybe they don't know what it is- it's something in their shop."  
  
"That would make more sense- Look, Quidditch!" He pointed to a Chudley Cannon's billboard on their right (bewitched to look like a Got Milk add to muggles of course).  
  
"Can't you ever focus, Ron?"  
  
"Sometimes. But I'd much prefer not to." He grinned (lopsidedly of course) and Hermione felt her heart melt.  
  
By this point the cabby was looking at the two like they were insane. What was this Quidditch nonsense they were talking about, anyway? He dropped them off on a random muggle side street, right next to the entrance for Diagon Alley.  
  
Ron and Hermione entered and began to walk the familiar streets. They had no trouble at all finding Fred and George's store. It was the most colorful place in Diagon alley, and it definitely stood out among the dreary old shops lining the streets.  
  
They opened the door and were immediately attacked from both sides by two familiar, and very similar, faces. "Hullo!" Shouted George. Hermione winced, covering her ears.  
  
"Hello to you too."  
  
"So. . ." Fred said slyly, you two are back, are you?  
  
"Oh, no." Hermione groaned. "I forgot."  
  
"What?" Ron looked confused.  
  
"Hold on just one second." Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him into one of the isles. "Ron, I completely forgot?"  
  
"About what?" He looked utterly and completely confused.  
  
"The joke that we played on Fred."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Oh? That's all you're going to say?"  
  
"It's really not that big of a deal."  
  
"Wha-?" Before she could finish Ron linked his arm in hers. Smiling down at her, he walked over to where Fred and George were standing.  
  
"So, how mad were mum and dad? I didn't want to stick around and feel their wrath."  
  
"Lucky." Fred muttered. "So why are you here, anyway?"  
  
Ron explained the clue they had found. "We thought we'd come here and look around, see if you guys knew anything."  
  
George shrugged. "Not that I can recall, but feel free to take a look." Ron did take a look. Lots of them in fact. And everything he saw he tested. By the time he was done he'd gone through over half the store.  
  
"Stop playing around! Will you ever grow up, Ronald?"  
  
"Oooh, Ronnikins little girlfriend is mad." Exclaimed Fred, in obvious delight.  
  
"But, darling," Ron exclaimed, stressing the word, "you know how much I love to have fun!"  
  
"Get off." She shrugged him off, trying to ignore the feeling she'd been having while his arm had been around her. "Did you find anything, at least?"  
  
"No, I just keep running into these bloody beetles." He held up a plastic beetle. Seconds after he lifted it, it exploded, sending blue goo all over him.  
  
He turned to Fred and George. "Very funny."  
  
"Aren't they? We've been working on them for weeks, they're our latest invention."  
  
"You know who they reminded us of?" George piped in. "Rita Skeeter."  
  
~~~  
  
"Agh. I'd really rather not thing about that bloody woman ever again."  
  
"I agree." Said Hermione, sincerely.  
  
"Do you know how long she must have spent, trying to find ANYTHING about us that she could put in an article to make us look bad?"  
  
"Over a year." Hermione said grimly.  
  
"Although. . . I bet she has some pretty important things that happened during those years at Hogwarts."  
  
"You mean things from our childhood?" Hermione asked excitedly.  
  
"Do you really think she could-"  
  
"Yes! I bet that's why we had to come here- "  
  
"EXCUSE ME!" Fred cut in loudly. "Could you please explain to the rest of the world what you two are talking about?"  
  
"Well, Rita spent years researching everything about our lives. She knew more about us that we did! If we need to find a clue about our past, she'll probably have it."  
  
"Do you really think she'll just give it to you though?"  
  
"I guess not." Hermione said, suddenly looking quite depressed.  
  
"Oh well." Ron said brightly. "I guess we just won't ask then."  
  
"Ron! Are you suggesting that we break into her office or something?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"But how? There is no way we could get in without someone noticing."  
  
"That's where we come in!" George said, excitedly. "You know Fred and I are good at that sort of thing."  
  
Hermione looked worried, so Ron decided to use the only tactic he knew would work. "Come on, 'Mione. Where's your sense of adventure." She sputtered, so he continued. "You're not afraid, are you?"  
  
Her eyes flashed, and she resisted the urge to smack him. Instead she turned to George. "So how do you expect to go about this little scheme?"  
  
He gestured to his shop. "With this."  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Slowly, Fred opened the door to the lobby of the Daily Prophet. They managed to get on the elevator to Rita Skeeter's floor without any trouble. "Maybe we won't need to use all of that stuff." Hermione said, pointing to the backpacks both twins wore. They looked disappointed.  
  
However, when they reached her floor, they saw this would not be the case. There were at least 9 guards and numerous cameras located outside the office. "We'd like to see Rita Skeeter, please." Hermione asked.  
  
"She's not here right now." One of the bigger guards replied.  
  
"Oh? Well then why are you all here?"  
  
"It seems that someone reacted badly to one of Rita's articles. We're here to protect her. I'm sorry, You'll have to come back later." The words had barely left his mouth when George pulled out a can from his bag. He sprayed it in the guy's eyes, and the man screamed.  
  
"George, was that pepper spray?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Nope- it's my own special spray. It will make him see nothing but Weasleys for days. Here- take this." He threw a bottle at her. She looked at the label. Bubbles?  
  
"What are these?" She asked, but he was already gone. Hermione looked around her. Ron had thrown a red piece of paper at one of the guards. The paper had taken the shape of Mrs. Weasley and had backed the guard into a corner, screaming at him.  
  
Fred threw water on two of the guards, and they began to sink towards the ground. "Witchy water." He explained quickly. "It'll melt anyone who's magical. Not permanently, of course." He added.  
  
George was having fun throwing exploding beetles at another guard. The man was covered in so much goo Hermione could barely tell he was human. "Quick, give me something!" Ron screamed, since a guard was quickly approaching him. Fred threw him a piece of gum.  
  
"Chew it!" He yelled. Ron did so, and looked back at Fred. "Now throw it at him!" The gum hit the guard square in the forehead. He took another step towards Ron and bounced up to the ceiling. Ron looked questioningly at his brother. "It turned him into rubber." Fred explained.  
  
The twins cornered two more guards and threw a blue cube at them. It exploded, so Hermione ducked. When she raised her head she saw two blue butterflies. "Yes!" George screamed. "It all worked! Come on, let's hurry before someone comes up here."  
  
"Wait a second." Hermione said slowly. "There were nine guards. We only got eight." Ron's eyes were getting wider and wider, and looking her direction, so she turned around. The last guard, at least three times her size, was hovering over her. Doing the only thing she could think of Hermione whipped out the bubbles and began to blow them onto the man.  
  
But nothing happened. He didn't explode, he didn't turn into a butterfly, he didn't even melt. Until suddenly. . . his skin began to change color. It began to get darker and darker, until the man was completely purple. Unfortunately, no matter how amusing purple skin was, it didn't help Hermione out in this situation. The man continued to advance towards her.  
  
"No!" Ron screamed, launching himself at the guy. "Get away from her!" He hit the man and the guy fell onto the floor, at which point Ron promptly pummeled him into the ground.  
  
She watched in silence, with a strange feeling inside. Was it possible? Could she like Ron again? "Shit." She mumbled at the thought.  
  
Eventually, the twins pulled Ron off of the guard. "Let's go, Ronnikins. We've got work to do." They entered the office, looking around to make sure no one was inside. Ron quickly stole a glance at Hermione, expecting her to be mad at him for using violence. Much to his surprise she was positively beaming.  
  
'That's it.' He thought. 'Having the twins around cannot be good for her health. She's going completely bonkers!'  
  
~~~  
  
"You gave me bubbles? You gave me bubbles? You got to turn someone into a butterfly, and I had to rely on turning a man purple?" Hermione wasn't quite ready to work yet.  
  
"It's ok, 'Mione. I had your back."  
  
She turned to Ron and smiled. "I know." She turned around and pointed at the twins. "But YOU could have gotten me killed!"  
  
"'Mione, can we please discuss this later? One of the guards is going to wake up soon."  
  
She sighed. "Ok guys, look around, see if you can find anything about the three of us while we were at Hogwarts."  
  
After a few minutes of searching, Ron called out. "'Mione, come here!" He was standing by a filing cabinet. "Look! We get our own filing cabinet." He smiled. "Man, we're good." Hermione looked at him and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Let's just see what's inside." The entire top of the cabinet was filled with stories about the trio. "These must be the ones they never published."  
  
Ron picked up the closest article. "'Hermione Granger Bipolar." He laughed but read on. "It has been discovered that Hermione Granger is secretly bipolar. She is known to have a violent nature and temper, although many of her classmates think that is her normal personality, not a symptom of her disease." Ron was laughing hysterically, but Hermione was fuming.  
  
"I am NOT bipolar! In fact, I doubt that git even knows what bipolar means!" She added harshly.  
  
"Ok, calm down." Ron said soothingly.  
  
Hermione shot him an aggravated look and picked up the nearest article. "Well let's just read this one, shall we?"  
  
"Harry's Betrayal." She looked skeptically at Ron. "Harry Potter was recently attacked by one of his so called best friends, Ronald Weasley, in a fight over the bewitching Hermione Granger." She stopped reading, and threw the paper onto the table, but the ever so helpful George picked it up and continued.  
  
"Hermione Granger has spent years showering her attentions on both boys, and when she finally 'chose' Harry, Ron burst, brutally attacking his best friend." Next to the article was a picture of Harry covered in blood. George looked at it questioningly, so Hermione explained.  
  
"Colin took that during our fifth year, when Harry got hit by a bludger in a quidditch game."  
  
Fred began to laugh. "This stuff is hysterical. I can't believe this bunch of lies!"  
  
"I can't believe she kept these things after all those years." George was laughing, and Hermione soon joined him. The only person who remained conspicuously silent was Ron.  
  
"Ronnikins?" Fred asked, looking at his brother questioningly. Ron had gone deathly pale, and looked on the verge of running from the room. "Are you ok?"  
  
"Yea," He answered slowly. "Yea, I'm fine." There was no way he would ever admit to his two older brothers and the woman he loved that at one point he did pummel Harry, because he had believed that Harry and Hermione liked each other. There was also no way he'd ever admit the fear that the article instilled in him. For it to come true would be his worst nightmare coming to life.  
  
"Ok, let's keep going." Said Hermione. The group began to move at a faster pace, only slightly laughing at the other articles they came across. According to Rita Skeeter, Hermione was a temptress, she hated Quidditch because she had been traumatized by a childhood Quidditch incident, and Ron was really Snape's son. Go figure.  
  
They were finishing up the filing cabinet when Ron called out. The rest of the group turned to see him holding up an envelope. "There is a key inside it- what do you think it goes to?" No one had a clue, so they began to search the office for anything that would need a key.  
  
"I think I've found it!" Hermione cried out. She was trying to pull open a desk drawer, but it wouldn't budge. Ron ran over and shoved the key into the lock. "It fits!" He turned it and slowly pulled the drawer open.  
  
~~~  
  
Inside were a bunch of pictures. They weren't of people, just of really big trees, and dark woods. There was a note attached to the top of them.  
  
--------  
  
Well Ron, I've saved the best for you  
  
Here's a message from your past  
  
You went to save the one you loved  
  
Better get there again real fast  
  
--------  
  
Ron read the note and stood in silence. Hermione looked at him in shock. The one Ron loved? As in, I heart you love? She didn't recall him going on any deep dark missions without her, so the note had to be talking about one of his auror missions. Still, in the year that he had been an auror, she didn't remember him getting into any serious relationships.  
  
Her heart sank. Did this mean that he kept it from her? And why did she care so much? 'Because you love him, you git.' 'Great.' She thought. 'Now that he hates me, I figure out that I love him. Good going Hermione.'  
  
She looked up at Ron and was extremely surprised by the next words that came out of his mouth. "Well, 'Mione, I guess this means we're going back to Hogwarts."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"I think we need to pay a little visit to the Forbidden Forest."  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Another chapter done! Ok, I know you guys want me to get to the romance, and I'm sorry, but it's coming soon, I swear. And, there are only two or three more chapters until I'm done with the whole thing. So please, tell me what you thought of this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!  
  
~ Sugar High 


	8. an old friend

Hey! I've finally finished the 8th chapter =D *applause* and I tried to write it according to your demands. Hence, the excess of fluff compared to other chapters. So. . . read on, I hope you like it.  
  
No, I don't own Harry Potter. Or Hermione. Or Ron. Or the twins. Or just about anybody else worth owning. I would like to own Rupert Grint, though!  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Hermione's mind was reeling. The Forbidden Forest? Why on earth would they go there? Before she could ask, there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Rita? Rita, are you in there? Are you ok?" The group paused, not knowing what to do. "What happened out here? Rita? I'm coming in!" Immediately Hermione pointed her wand at the door.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ron asked.  
  
"Locking the door."  
  
"But it's already locked!"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "This way they can't use Alohomora." Turning her head, she saw the twins fishing for something in one of their bags. "What are you two looking for?"  
  
Apparently finding what he wanted, Fred stood up. "Hermione, take your wand off the door."  
  
"They'll come inside!"  
  
"I know. You and Ron run. George and I will hold them off." Hermione silently nodded her head. She knew that she and Ron had to go ahead. They had to get to Harry and Ginny as fast as they could.  
  
"Ok." Ron cut in. "On the count of three." He paused to look at his brothers and Hermione. "'Mione, run fast. Fred, George- don't blow yourselves up. One. . . two. . ." The door suddenly swung open. "Bloody hell, three!" The group went running out of the room, Ron and Hermione making a mad dash for the stairs, with Fred and George running for the nearest revived guards.  
  
Ron was running as fast as he could, with Hermione right behind him. Until he heard her scream. Turning, he saw that a guard had grabbed the fold of her robes, and was pulling her back up the stairs. Ron turned and covered the distance between them in two steps. Without even thinking, he punched the guard in the face, sending him flying up the stairwell.  
  
Grabbing her hand, he tore in the opposite direction- down and out of the building. As they exited the doors there was an explosion. Looking up they saw tons of blue goo oozing out of the windows. "Oh no." Ron muttered, as they continued to run.  
  
~~~  
  
They made their way back to Kings Cross, and once again boarded the Hogwarts Express. "This is getting REALLY OLD." Hermione said, in an aggravated tone. She and Ron made their way to their usual compartment, and as she mechanically slid her bags into their positions the wheels in her brain once again began to turn. There were so many questions she wanted to ask Ron, but if she did he'd probably never talk to her again. Ron broke her train of thought by stating the obvious. (A very Ron- like thing to do.)  
  
"Fred and George really did a job on that building. Bloody hell, it was wicked!"  
  
Hermione slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Um. Ron? How did you figure out the clue so fast? I mean, you've known lots of girls, and you were an auror, so I bet a lot of them were in danger. . ."  
  
Ron sputtered. He should have known! Of course, Hermione would be the one to have heard that little word in the rhyme. Ok, so maybe love wasn't such a little word, but did she have to notice it? He paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.  
  
"Well, it was a clue from a madman, so I figure that it had to be somewhere I didn't like. And you know I hate the Forbidden Forest. And I figure since it was the last clue it would want us to go back to Hogwarts, since the first clue talked a lot about it, and. . ." He realized that he was rambling.  
  
"How do you know that we aren't supposed to go back to the chamber though? The note could have been talking about Ginny. And it doesn't necessarily have to be female, I mean, you love your brothers and Harry, right?"  
  
"No, 'Mione. I'm pretty sure they meant a little more than family love. Like a girl I loved or something. And the only girl I love that's not family is you- I don't really know any other girls." 'Good going, Ron.' He thought to himself. 'Well, if she didn't think you were absolutely bonkers before, now she definitely does!'  
  
"It had to be the time I went into the Forbidden Forest anyway. That's when I was the most afraid, and I think the clue was supposed to have special meaning for me."  
  
Hermione nodded her head again. It hadn't quite been the answer she'd wanted, but it would do. Besides, it was nice to know that he hadn't fallen in love with someone without telling her.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
When Hermione and Ron reached Hogwarts, they immediately went upstairs to their room. "I think we need a game plan." Ron said solemnly. Seeing that Hermione was trying to hide her laughed in her pillow, he asked her what was wrong.  
  
"Nothing, it's just. . . you aren't going to go back into detective mode, are you?"  
  
"What do you mean? I never went into any kind of mode, 'Mione!"  
  
"Sure," she said, her laughter subsiding. "So what do you think we should do?"  
  
"Well, we need to go into the forest. Dumbledore won't let us go alone, but we can't take anyone with us. I don't want to be responsible for putting anyone into danger. Which reminds me. . ." He eyeballed her.  
  
"Ronald Weasley, you know perfectly well that I am coming with you, so come off it, right now."  
  
"That's what I thought. So if we don't want to be seen, what do we do?"  
  
"We go at night."  
  
"Exactly. We can tell Dumbledore that we're meeting a friend for drinks, and leave undetected. No students will see us, they'll all be in bed, and none of the teachers will suspect that we've gone."  
  
"Brilliant, Ron! But what do you suggest we do until tonight? We've got a couple of hours."  
  
"I don't know about you, but I could do with some much needed sleep."  
  
"I was hoping you'd say that." Hermione smiled and crawled into her bed. "So, good night Ron. I guess. Or maybe it's good afternoon- "  
  
"'Mione?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Go to sleep." She did, almost immediately, but try as he might, Ron couldn't follow her lead. He just lay there, thinking about the note in the drawer. Who was this person, and how did he know so much about them? Was it just coincidence that he had called Hermione the one Ron loved? He didn't think so. Slowly, his thoughts began to drift, and he was almost asleep when he realized that he needed to do one more thing.  
  
Getting up, Ron walked over to Hermione's bed. Gently, so as not to wake her, he kissed her on the lips. Realizing what he had done, he quickly turned around and got back in his bed. 'Good.' He thought. 'Now that that's done, I can finally get some sleep.'  
  
As he drifted off, Hermione smiled. She had just had the most amazing dream! That wasn't the first time she had dreamed of Ron kissing her, but it had definitely seemed the most real.  
  
~~~  
  
The two woke up around the same time. Sneaking down to the kitchen, with Hermione all the time whispering about how Ron was being a bad influence on her, they had the house elves prepare a small dinner for them. They couldn't let Dumbledore see them eating or he would question why they were going out.  
  
Once they finished their dinner and gathered up their wands and their nerves, Ron went to tell Dumbledore that they were leaving. "Must you go so soon, Mr. Weasley?"  
  
"We should be back later tonight, but right now I have a meeting with an old friend."  
  
He met Hermione in front of the Great Hall and looked outside. "It's pretty dark out there. I guess we can leave now." Silently the two made their way across the grounds, stopping at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.  
  
"What are we doing?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Hold on- you'll see in a minute." The two stood there for a good many more minutes until Ron spotted it. It, being the long row of spiders entering the forest from the school. The straight lines they crawled in had given him nightmares for years, but there was no way that he was going to let Hermione know that. He tried to act brave, hoping that his face was hidden by the darkness.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
"We're following THEM?"  
  
"If you want to stay here. . ."  
  
"No Ron, I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting this, that's all." However, she grabbed his hand and didn't let go until they reached their destination.  
  
Ron was inwardly terrified. The only thing that kept him from turning and running was his even greater fear for others. His sister, his best friend, and the woman he loved. He had to try and be strong for Hermione- he couldn't run away and leave her there.  
  
Hermione wasn't keeping her terror quite as inward. She had fear written all over her face, and she was gripping Ron's hand like her life depended on it. She hadn't been in the forest too often, and she had never been that far in before.  
  
But as they walked, and she held Ron's hand, she became calmer. She managed to find strength in Ron's actions, calm, and lack of fear.  
  
Finally, Ron stopped. "We're here."  
  
Hermione heard a voice from within the darkness around them. "What's that? More of Hagrid's friends have come to visit me?"  
  
"It's me again." Ron called out bravely. Hermione wondered for a moment who he was talking to. And then she looked around.  
  
They were surrounded by huge trees. Huge, hairy trees. Hairy? And then the 'trees' started to move, and she understood. "Ron!" She shouted. "Ron- there's something above us!"  
  
"I know." He told her calmly. Eventually the creature above them stepped into the light.  
  
"It's a- a- a- "  
  
"Spider." He finished.  
  
Then the spider spoke. "You're back? Are you really that stupid, friend of Hagrid?"  
  
"We need to ask you a question, Aragog."  
  
"Ok then. What is it?" Hermione asked the spider if it had seen anything suspicious, or knew of anything that could be useful to them. "I know nothing, I have seen nothing. I have tried to keep to myself, away from humans, and I was succeeding until you two came."  
  
"Do you remember the boy who was with me all those years ago? The one with the scar?"  
  
"I remember him, but I have not seen him. If I had, he would be gone. . . indefinitely."  
  
"And have you seen a girl? She's around our age, with red hair."  
  
"I told you, I have not seen any humans since I last saw you. And I have not heard anything about humans since I was told that the dark lord was gone, and that humans have come to fear the Golden One!" Ron glanced at Hermione. He remembered this part, and he had been dreading it.  
  
"So," Aragog said, getting angrier, "If you don't mind, I'm going to call my family to dinner."  
  
~~~  
  
"Run!" Ron shouted. "'Mione, get out of here- go!" She looked at him- he was cornered by a huge spider.  
  
"Wingardium Leviosa!" She shouted, levitating the spider into the air.  
  
Ron got out of the way and then yelled to Hermione. "Ok, let's go!" He heard the scream just as his feet started to move.  
  
"No! Get away from me. . . Ron! Ron, help me, Ron!" Her screams became ear piercing, and came close to breaking his heart. Dreading what he would see, he turned around. She was surrounded. The spiders were everywhere, on top of her, around her, prodding her with their limbs.  
  
"No!" He shouted, running towards them as fast as he could, blatantly unaware that there were hundreds of spiders chasing after himself, and only worrying about Hermione. He remembered feeling like this once before- back in his seventh year when Voldemort had tried to kill her. With uncalculating emotion he ran right through the crowd of spiders.  
  
He got to her and picked her up, wrapping her up in his arms. "Stay back!" He shouted.  
  
"Ron," Hermione mumbled feebly, "the spiders aren't going to listen to you."  
  
He pulled out his wand and shouted the only spell he could think of. He had come across it years before, when Hermione was making him research something for her. "Amorus Protectus!" He screamed. Nothing happened to the spiders, but Hermione began to glow purple. "Run!" He screamed, pushing her through the spiders, towards their only escape route.  
  
She went only because she had no choice, and as they emerged from the crowd of spiders a huge one jumped on top of her. Rather, tried to jump on top of her. The second it got within two feet of her it went flying backwards.  
  
Hermione didn't even pause to look at it. She didn't have time. Ron, who's hand had once again found hers, was pushing her through the forest as fast as they could go. They could hear the sound of the Aragog's relatives following them until they reached the edge of the forest. However, they didn't stop running until they reached the quidditch pitch.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
The two collapsed on the ground, side by side. "Wow. This could almost be romantic." Hermione exclaimed. Ron turned his head to hide his smile. "Ron, what was that spell you used back there?"  
  
"Hermione, I'd rather not think about what happened back there. But if you must know, I have no idea where that spell came from- it just. . . did."  
  
"I can't believe we went through all of that and we didn't learn anything." The two stood up. *notice that they are still holding hands, although they have not yet noticed it themselves*  
  
"This sicko is just messing with our minds. He's just messing with us!" He screamed. "Why?"  
  
"Don't say that Ron. We did learn something."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like that Voldemort is gone and was replaced by 'The Golden One.'"  
  
"Bloody Hell. A lot of help that one is." They stood there, staring off into the darkness, while Ron calmed down. It was Hermione who eventually broke the silence.  
  
"Did you really go through all of that for me? When we were younger, I mean. Did you did you really do all of that?"  
  
"Yes." The two stood in silence for a while longer. Hermione was beginning to get a warm feeling inside of her. Ron- her Ron, had risked his life for her. He had faced his worst fears, just to protect and save her.  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
"Yes Ron?" She looked up at him expectantly, but he just turned his head. Well, she wasn't going to let him get away with that one!  
  
"Ron." Her voice faltered. "Did you really mean what you said earlier? About how you figured out the clue so quickly? Did you tell the truth?" He didn't respond. "Ron, how did you really know the clue pertained to me?"  
  
He'd thought up his great excuse. He'd thought up a million great excuses. A million reasons why he knew that they were supposed to go to the Forbidden Forest. A million lies. And when he looked into her eyes, he found himself unable to lie. He knew that the big brown eyes staring at him would only accept the truth.  
  
~~~  
  
"The truth is, Hermione, that I- I knew it was you because the clue talked about the girl I loved." He bowed his head, afraid of her response.  
  
Hermione was inwardly jumping for joy. Ronald Weasley loved her? Ronald Weasley? The same person she was in love with? 'No,' she thought. 'That's too good to be true.' And then she realized that the last word of the clue had a 'd' tacked on the end of it. At one point he had loved her. Her heart sank. The 'd' was significant. The 'd' showed that the love was a past thing. She felt like crying.  
  
"I loved you. When we were younger. . ." Their grip got tighter. "When we were younger, I did. And now, I. . ." As he spoke, they had moved in closer to each other. Their fingers intertwined, they began to lean in towards each other.  
  
Inches away from their first kiss, Ron felt something fuzzy brush his lips. Hermione must have felt it too, because they both stepped back at the same time with disgusted looks on their faces. Aggravatedly looking up to see what had come between them, Ron saw an owl. Frustratedly, he took the note attached to the owl's leg, and it flew away.  
  
-----------  
  
There is one place you both know that you haven't been in years  
  
You must return to the very space that one of you horribly fears.  
  
-----------  
  
Hermione's jaw dropped. Ron looked at her, his face grim. "'Mione, you can't go there. You hate that place!"  
  
"I know- but I'd do anything to save Harry and Ginny."  
  
"Hermione, stay here. I'm not going to let you go back to the Three Broomsticks!"  
  
She shuddered. "I'm a big girl now- I'll go wherever I want. . . or need to go. That includes the Three Broomsticks."  
  
"Ok." He gave in. "Lets go."  
  
She gave him a quizzical look, as she silently followed him into the building, and headed towards a secret entrance that would take them to Hogsmead.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Wow- chapter 8 is over and done with! In case you can't tell, there aren't many more chapters left until I finish. I'll try to get them up as soon as I can, but I'm going away for Spring Break and don't know when I'll be able to reach a computer. Keep checking, though- if it's at all possible that I can update, I will. I know, you guys probably wanted a lot more fluff, but I have this great line planned out for the next chapter, and if they got together in this one it would totally ruin it. So you'll have to wait just a little longer. And. . . please, send me feedback. AKA, review! It is so much more helpful to write if the people who read your story help you out with suggestions and likes/ dislikes. So, for the love of sugar cubes. . .REVIEW! =)  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Daja~ I am SO glad that you read my story. Harry Potter fan fiction can be cliché, but it's still Harry Potter, and most of it (especially the Ron/ Hermione kind) is really good. So, I'm really glad that you've decided to read another story because of mine. Hopefully, over time you'll become as hooked as I am. = P  
  
Felicia~ Finally, a chapter that is out quickly enough that you actually like. I'm really glad you liked that last chapter, since you have been one of my most faithful reviewers, and you actually tell me the truth. I hope this chappie was to your liking.  
  
Eve~ Thanks for telling me the name of the cube. Lol, I've been wondering that for a while now.  
  
Starlit_Wolf14, Mione Weasley, Emalia Jinx, miracle, Rebeltawn, and everyone else who has reviewed my story- thank you so much- I really appreciate it, you guys are the greatest. 


	9. the riddle house

Hey! I'm back with another chapter, for your reading enjoyment (I hope). This is kind of the most important chapter in the whole thing, so it took me a while to write- sorry. Well, read and review- tell me what you think =).  
  
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Harry Potter. I'd like to, though, so if any of you know how that can be arranged. . .  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Hermione entered the Three Broomsticks looking as if she would be sick. She had somehow managed to get back to the one place she had never wanted to be in again. 'Way to go.' She thought to herself.  
  
Neither Hermione nor Ron had really known what to expect. They had both assumed that whoever they were fighting would have cleared out the restaurant. They were up against a dangerous evil, and they expected everything that went along with the title.  
  
Instead, they found themselves in a jovial pub, full of people from their past and present. There was no scary music, the lights were all in order, and there was no creepy man lurking in the corner.  
  
"What do you think?" Ron whispered. Hermione shrugged, so he led her to a table. The two sat, wands drawn, for nearly half an hour. If either of them were even remotely paying attention to the people around them they would have realized that they were the topic of discussion at nearly every table. Not only were people surprised to see them back in the restaurant, for people recognized them almost immediately, but neither one of them was speaking. The two were sitting in nervous silence, both staring intently at the door.  
  
Ron, who for the first time in his life was sitting at a table without thinking about food, was contemplating on who would enter that door. Would it be a figure from their past? Maybe someone they had never met. It could be somebody they had both heard of, but never actually confronted. And then there was the scariest possibility of all- that neither of them had either met or heard of the person they were about to come into contact with. That it was a new danger they were totally unprepared for.  
  
So deep was he in his thoughts that he literally jumped when an additional person joined their table. "Did I scare you, honey? I'm sorry- I didn't mean to. But I just noticed this letter sitting on the bar- it's addressed to the two of you. I figure you guys must be waiting for it, so I brought it to you as soon as possible." Madam Rosmerta, the owner as well as permanent waitress for the pub, pulled a letter out of her pocket as she spoke.  
  
Hermione sat, gaping at the envelope. Her powers of speech were lost when the letter was delivered. "I guess it was pretty important then, dear. Well, I'll be getting back to work now." Madame Rosmerta turned to leave.  
  
"Thank you." Ron barely managed to say, just before she walked out of earshot. He looked down at the letter in his hands. "Bloody Hell."  
  
"For once," Hermione said slowly, "I agree with you."  
  
"I thought- I thought all of the clues were over! I thought we'd be able to finish this thing tonight!"  
  
"I know, Ron- me too. Well, are you going to open it?"  
  
With trembling fingers Ron reached for the seal.  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
My Lord went to you to die  
  
You shall come to me.  
  
This is not a riddle, these are directions.  
  
My new place of residence is a familiar address  
  
For a family long departed, but not missed  
  
Come to the house- come to MY house  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
"Stupid prat, it doesn't even rhyme!" Ron said angrily  
  
"He wants us to go to his own turf. I guess this is it, Ron."  
  
She was shaking slightly, so Ron put his arm around her. "Hermione, I- " But he couldn't think of what to say, so instead he just held her hand. Together, they apparated to where the note had told them to go.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Hermione looked up at the Riddle Mansion. 'Well,' she mused, 'It's better than the Three Broomsticks.' The two were standing outside the gate of the house, looking in and trying to see some form of life.  
  
"You ready?" Ron asked her.  
  
"Almost." There was just one last thing she had to do. Hermione thought back to earlier that night. Really, it had only been about an hour ago. She reflected back to their time on the quidditch pitch.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"Ron." Her voice faltered. "Did you really mean what you said earlier? About how you figured out the clue so quickly? Did you tell the truth?" He didn't respond. "Ron, how did you really know the clue pertained to me?"  
  
"The truth is, Hermione, that I- I knew it was you because the clue talked about the girl I loved." He bowed his head, afraid of her response.  
  
"I loved you. When we were younger. . ." Their grip got tighter. "When we were younger, I did. And now, I. . ." As he spoke, they had moved in closer to each other. Their fingers intertwined, they began to lean in towards each other.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Was it possible that he was going to say, 'I do'? 'When we were younger I did, and now, I. . . do?" And she had been so sure that he was going to kiss her! But now she would never know. Hermione realized that she might never be completely sure.  
  
But she did know one thing. That she was in love with Ronald Weasley. And she needed to tell him, now, in case either of them were to lose their lives fighting for Harry and Ginny. She knew that she'd never be able to forgive herself if he was killed and she never got to tell him how she truly felt. So, pushing all of the fear and doubt out of her mind, Hermione took a plunge.  
  
"Ron?"  
  
"Yes, Hermione?"  
  
"I think I love you." He didn't respond. "Ron?"  
  
"I know I love you."  
  
She was in shock. Had Ronald Weasley just confessed his love to her? She was giddy with happiness. But, now wasn't the time to be giddy- she had to be at her best if she wanted to save Harry and Ginny.  
  
Again, holding hands, the two entered the house.  
  
~~~  
  
They were surrounded by darkness. "Lumos." Hermione whispered, allowing her wand to emit a small light, so that they could see where they were going. They made their way through the front of the house and into the back room. It was huge- at one point the entire back of the house had been made into one open room.  
  
Hermione gasped as they entered. Harry- their precious Harry- was in a corner nearly unconscious, but alive! Next to him lay Ginny. She was obviously under some sort of a sleeping spell.  
  
Ron, however, wasn't exactly the voice of reason where his sister was concerned. "'Mione! Oh no, she's dead!" Before Hermione could reassure him she saw Harry's eyes open wide. She knew what was coming even before she heard the voice.  
  
"Oh, I assure you she's not. Not yet, anyway."  
  
Ron and Hermione turned around to face Draco Malfoy.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Hermione stared at him in horror, Ron in shock. Draco just laughed. "What, surprised to see me? You didn't think I'd stay in Azkaban forever, did you Weasley?" He spit. "Granger, you look shocked."  
  
"Why?" Came stumbling out of her mouth. Not the most intelligent retort, but under the circumstances. . .  
  
"Don't you get it? You killed my Lord. Voldemort is dead! And now I'm finally able to take over his work, and finish what he started. I just needed to get you three out of the way first. I have inherited all of Voldemort's powers, his strengths, and his knowledge. I'm undefeatable. I am the new Lord!"  
  
"Soon," he continued, "wizards everywhere will be talking about me! They'll be fearing ME, joining MY ranks, and getting MY symbol tattooed on their arm. I shall be the one to take over the wizarding world, but unlike the late Lord Voldemort, I shall start with you."  
  
Ron pulled out his wand. Draco just looked at him, with a smirk on his face. Much to Malfoy's surprise, Ron walked over to him and flat out punched him in the face.  
  
"You'll pay for that Weasel," he seethed.  
  
Ron tried to pull out his wand (which he'd had to put back to punch Malfoy) but Draco was faster. With one swish he sent Ron flying across the room into a wall.  
  
Malfoy turned to look at Hermione. "I've been waiting for this for a while. I was almost afraid this moment wouldn't come."  
  
"Believe me, I wouldn't miss this for the world."  
  
"Well, it seems your 'genius' is up to par, although I'm amazed you were able to follow my clues with that stupid oaf tagging along after you." He gestured to Ron, lying on the ground.  
  
Hermione thought about how Ron was the one who had solved most of the clues. If possible, she got even angrier than she already was. "That oaf you are referring to had better be yourself Malfoy. I know you were following us- I saw you outside the Dursley's that day."  
  
"Touché. I've had the 'great Harry Potter' at my disposal for weeks now. I haven't harmed him. . . yet. Nor have I harmed his stupid red- haired girlfriend. But now that I have you. . ." He stopped to laugh.  
  
"Don't you dare hurt Harry, or Ginny!" Hermione screamed defiantly.  
  
Again, he laughed. "I hate to break it to you, mudblood, but I never intended to. It was you I wanted. You and him." Again, he gestured to Ron.  
  
Realization began to dawn on her. All of this had happened to get to her and Ron?  
  
"Harry Potter didn't take down my Lord, you did. You killed Voldemort, so I shall kill you."  
  
Ron, lying on the floor, realized the truth as well. Harry and Ginny were just pawns Malfoy had used to get to him and Hermione! The kidnappings were all his fault!  
  
Hermione whipped out her want. "Imobulus!" She shouted, trying to slow Draco down so she could figure out how to kill him.  
  
"Do you really think that will stop me?" He laughed again. "It'll take a lot more than that."  
  
He pulled out his wand and took a step towards her. "Do your worst, you can't hurt me." She said defiantly, while looking around for a place to dodge when he cast his spell.  
  
"Oh? Can't I?" He asked, sardonically. He began to speak, but instead of directing his wand at her he pointed it at Ron. "Crucio!" He screamed. Ron began to twitch uncontrollably.  
  
"Ron! Leave him alone- oh, please-leave him alone!" Seeing Ron twitch hurt her more than if he had done it to her. Panicking, she tried to perform the same curse on him. "Crucio!"  
  
Draco began to laugh maniacally. "It's going to take a lot more than that to defeat me!" He began to advance towards her, wand drawn.  
  
"Me too." Came a voice from the ground. Ron, who had been fighting the curse with every ounce of strength in his body, had crawled over to them. He kicked Draco's feet out from under him. As he did this the spell was broken, and the pain left Ron's body. He and Draco stood at the same time.  
  
Malfoy pointed his wand at Hermione. "Rictusempra!"  
  
As he screamed that, Ron yelled out a spell of his own. "Amorus Protectus!"  
  
Hermione was lifted into the air and she began to glow faintly purple. Ron's spell eventually won out over Draco's, and she was safely placed back on the ground. Ron was watching her to make sure she was ok- he didn't notice when Draco's wand turned to him.  
  
With a single movement Ron went flying into the wall. Slowly, he raised his wand. His face and arms were bloody, and he was covered in sweat.  
  
"Wingardium Leviosa." With a quick swish of his wand the shelf of books he was pointing at went flying towards Draco, pelting him on all sides. Ron then took the moment to try and get Harry and his sister up and out. Harry wouldn't budge without Ginny, but he was in no state to carry her.  
  
Hermione tried to get him to leave, but soon found out that it didn't really matter. Malfoy was getting up.  
  
"You'll pay for this." He took a step towards Ron.  
  
"I don't think so." Hermione intervened. She couldn't bear to see Ron hurt again. "Darcolo finito." She muttered coldly, under her breath.  
  
Draco fell to his knees, but nothing else happened. He didn't burst into flames; he wasn't even in pain. "I told you it would take more than that to defeat me, mudblood." He began to point his wand at her until he saw Ron out of the corner of his eye. Ron had his wand firmly pointed at Draco's head. Like lightening he turned and aimed his wand at Ron. "Avada Kedavra!" They yelled, simultaneously. There was a huge explosion.  
  
"Hermione, get out of here!" Ron's voice began to fade in the flames. Hermione remained rooted to the spot, refusing to leave Ron. Harry stood and grabbed her arm.  
  
"We have to go!" Silently nodding, Hermione picked Ginny up. Grabbing Harry's arm, she helped him out of the house.  
  
~~~  
  
As soon as they were safe she turned around. She could see multicolored flames coming from the burning mansion- Ron and Draco were still fighting. Harry was trying to revive his beloved Ginny, but he paused to stop Hermione. "You can't go in there." As he spoke the front door burst into flames. "Look."  
  
"I could apparate."  
  
"It's not safe, and you know it. You have no control over where you apparate in that building."  
  
"Harry, I'm not leaving Ron in there to die!"  
  
"Hermione! Be reasonable. I've spent weeks tied up at the mercy of that bastard. I know how you're feeling. I've also spent weeks realizing how much the people in my life mean to me. I'm not going to let one of them kill herself because she's being irrational. Ron was an auror- he knows what he's doing."  
  
There were tears in her eyes. "So you're just going to let him die?" The colored flames had stopped by now. All they could see were pieces of the building caving in and falling over. "He saved you. He risked his life for you, and you're just going to leave him?" Her voice broke.  
  
"You're right. He did risk his life for me. If anyone is going in after him, it's me."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous. You have to take care of Ginny, you're not strong enough, and- " She stopped when another person arrived on the scene.  
  
"Miles Flannagan- Investigative Auror. We've detected a large amount of magic being done at these premises." Sometime during Ron and Hermione's sixth year at Hogwarts the Riddle house had become a special magically licensed building. It was monitored by the Ministry of Magic, and to muggles the house just looked old and abandoned, no matter what was going on inside it. This way, if anything ever happened (like the present situation) no muggles would arrive on the scene.  
  
'I bet that's why no policemen have come.' Hermione thought to herself, as Harry explained their current situation to Miles. 'Policy- men. That's what Ron called them once.' Her smile faded and became a choked sob.  
  
Harry was nearly finished with his story, so she decided she could butt in. "So you see, I have to go in after him! I have to- he could be dying or trapped!"  
  
"I'm sorry," Miles told her, "But I can't allow you to enter the house. I hate to have to inform you, miss, but it's highly unlikely that anything is alive in there at all."  
  
"Hermione, I'm sorry." Harry wrapped his arm around her.  
  
"No!" She screamed, pushing him off. "You're wrong! How could you even suggest that he be- that he's-" She couldn't continue, she just fell to the ground where she lay sobbing.  
  
Meanwhile, more aurors arrived. The investigative aurors had to be told the story, and the field aurors tried to search for a way inside the house. However, every time one of them tried to get inside another part of the building would explode.  
  
One of the field aurors used this time to revive Ginny. Once she had been told the story she looked solemnly at Hermione. "Hon, I'm sorry. But the facts aren't pointing in his favor."  
  
"You're all wrong!" Hermione screamed. "What kind of aurors are you? Ron would have gone in after any of you, and you know it!"  
  
"You're right." One of them said quietly. "He would have. I'll go in." He turned to face Hermione, revealing his identity.  
  
"Seamus?" She asked. "Thank you- oh, God- thank you." She gave him a quick hug. He began to walk towards the building, and was only a few steps away when the entire thing collapsed. "Seamus!" She shouted, running towards him. He was lying on the ground, almost ten yards from where the building had fallen.  
  
"I'm ok." He said shakily, picking himself up. "I'll go back." He began moving but another auror stepped in his way.  
  
"I don't think so. Right now the entire building could go, at any second."  
  
Shakily Seamus turned to Hermione. "I'm sorry. I- I wish I could help." Without saying another word, he turned and walked away.  
  
Tears filled Hermione's eyes. "I'm sorry." Miles told her. "But with the fire, and the smoke, and now with the collapse of the building, there's no way he survived."  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Hermione let out a giant sob. "No! I don't believe you, I don't- " She broke off as her heaving got to be too much for her.  
  
"I'm sorry. I know. I'm hurt too." Ginny put a comforting arm around Hermione. They stood in an embrace- holding onto each other for dear life.  
  
"Ginny, it hasn't been that long since I left that building. He could still be alive!"  
  
"Let go." Ginny told her soothingly. "It's the only thing we can do now." Ginny had her back to the flames, trying to block out the truth. Hermione, on the other hand, was looking right at them. She still believed, in the depths of her mind, that he was still alive.  
  
She could almost imagine him walking out of the building. But that's all it was, her imagination. She began to reflect on their life together. As children, when he was willing to face spiders and belch slugs for her. When they got older and he got jealous of her going to a ball without him.  
  
She thought about their seventh year. He had risked his life for her then, and suffered dearly. He had risked his life for her tonight, and paid the ultimate price. Hermione reflected on their relationship as adults, when they spent almost all of their time together.  
  
She stood with her head on Ginny's shoulder, bawling her eyes out. 'I love him. Nobody would be that cruel,' she thought. 'Nobody would be mean enough to take away the one person I love.'  
  
~~~  
  
Then she saw it. A figure emerging from the flames. "Ron?" She said his name slowly, under her breath.  
  
"Ron?" She let go of Ginny and ran towards the figure emerging from the fallen building. He was covered in bruises and blood. Nearly every part of his body was burned. His clothes were torn, his hair disheveled. He was beautiful.  
  
When he saw Hermione, alive and well, his heart burst. He began to move faster in her direction. She was running towards him, hair flying in every direction, leaving a large group of dumbstruck aurors in her wake.  
  
When she reached him he picked her up and spun her around. Suddenly, he couldn't feel any pain. "I love you. God, I love you."  
  
"You stupid prat!" She said, "What the hell took you so long?"  
  
Then he did something none of the aurors, or his sister or Harry, expected. He pulled her in for a mind- numbing kiss. Their first kiss.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
How was that? Like I said, that was the most important chapter, so I'd really like to know how I did with it. I thought about doing a cliffhanger, and leaving you with a missing Ron and a tearful Hermione, but I thought about how I would feel, nearly slapped myself, and continued writing. =). I'm nearing the end- I only have one or two chapter left, so I'd love to hear your comments! Eat a sugar cube and review! Oh, and I have a question:  
  
I know in one of the books the trio (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) is together, and they need to light a fire. One of them, I think Harry or Hermione, says something about not having any wood, and I think Ron tells them, "Honestly! And you call yourself a witch?"  
  
Now, I probably got that entire scene wrong. If I did feel free to laugh at me (I'm already laughing at myself). But if anyone knows where that is- which scene in which book, I'd really appreciate them telling me. So. . . please review with the answer!  
  
To my reviewers-  
  
Daja- I'm sorry the other Harry Potter fics you read weren't that great- I know it can be hard to find a good story. I hope you still include mine in that category, and you like this chapter. Good luck finding another good story- I hope you do!  
  
Starlit_Wolf14- I am SO glad that you reviewed. You made my day, really. I'm so flattered, and the only thing I can think to tell you is that I hope you read my other story's too, and I can't wait to read yours, because I definitely will! I have one question- is Starlit_Wolf14 your pen name, or do you just sign under it?  
  
Felicia- I finally got to the kiss! Well, was it worth the wait?  
  
Lily Michelle- Thanks for reviewing! Hermione hates the Three Broomsticks because that's where the group fought Voldemort in their seventh year, when Ron nearly died.  
  
Rebeltawn- Was this enough action and romance for you? I think the lack of it in all other chapters kind of compiled into this one. Lol  
  
To Andie, Sunshine Stargirl, Lixta, and Straycat, Thanks for your reviews! I love the vote of confidence- it means a lot to me. THANK YOU! 


	10. meaning of a spell

Hey! I'm back with the last chapter! Yeah! *Author dances around like a leprechaun while singing the theme song to Peter Pan* (If Peter Pan has a theme song.) I hope you like it, and I hope you review it. . . Have fun reading! Luv,  
  
~ Sugar High  
  
Sunshine Stargirl- Thanks for your review, as always- you never fail =). Good luck with A summer to remember, update soon!  
  
Lixta- I think your review was one of the best I've gotten so far- thanks so much for reading!  
  
Queen:)B- Thanks for reviewing. And PLEASE, update Nothing more, Nothing less soon!  
  
Laney- I do believe you are a first time reviewer- thanks so much!  
  
Felicia- All I can say is. . . I hope you like this. You're the one reviewer that was actually honest with me, and told me to hurry my ass up when I took too long. Thank you, I need that sometimes (. This chappie goes to you- props, hun.  
  
Sugarquillz- Thanks for answering my question and as always, thanks for your review!  
  
Lily Michelle- I'm so glad you reviewed- and thanks for answering my question. Btw, I loved Crying in the Rain, and I hope you update Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder soon!  
  
Ronaldrose- Thanks for your review! I love the encouragement.  
  
Sue- Thanks for answering my question, and thanks for the review!  
  
Straycat- Thanks for ALL of your reviews! I'm so glad you've decided to read my other stories, it means a lot to me. Good luck with Curses and Families just don't mix, I can't wait to read more of it.  
  
Rebeltawn- Awww. . . you shouldn't have. *Author blushes furiously* Thanks for your review- that was great. Great job with Secrets, update soon!  
  
HarryPotterGirly- Thanks for reading, and thanks for your reviews- I'm so glad you like my fic. (  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Chapter 10  
  
The aurors on the scene quickly realized that Ron needed to get medical help. Hermione immediately apparated him to the hospital where she worked.  
  
As they entered she scanned the room for someone who could help them. "Hello? I have an injured man here, he needs medical attention!"  
  
"Oh, dear. Well, I guess he does." A nearby medi- witch said, looking at Ron strangely. "We'll have to get him to the emergency room." Hermione nodded.  
  
"There are two more on the way. A group of aurors are making sure they get here safely."  
  
The nurse led them to the first available room. "The doctor will be with you shortly." Soon the pair was joined by Harry, Ginny, and the twenty or so aurors that accompanied them.  
  
Ron began to hear a faint buzzing in his ears. "Tell us your story!"  
  
"We need to know what happened!"  
  
"Who did it?"  
  
"Can you explain everything?"  
  
The aurors were bombarding them, and Ron felt more like he was surrounded by dementors than his former colleagues. Suddenly a voice rang out above the others. "All of you, out now! These patients are in no condition to be interviewed, and if you don't leave now I assure you, you won't be seeing them at all during their stay here!" It was the medi- witch. The aurors cleared out and she turned to the ex- students. "The doctor will be with you all shortly."  
  
They sat in silence until the man came in. Slowly, he looked over the patients. "These two should be fine," he said, motioning Harry and Ginny. "Other than being malnourished and generally unwell, they're fine. Unfortunately, that's where the good news ends." He looked at Ron.  
  
"All of the charms cast on him took their toll. He has quite a few broken bones. He also has suffered severe burns, and we need to get him into surgery as soon as possible."  
  
Hermione's sat up in her chair. "But he'll be ok, won't he?"  
  
Solemnly the doctor nodded. "As long as he receives his surgery sometime today he should be fine. In fact, I'll go and set up now." As he left the room Ron turned to Hermione. Her eyes were glistening with tears, and she looked worried.  
  
"'Mione, it's ok- I'll be fine." Smiling, he held his hand out to her. She grabbed it and sat down on the edge of his bed. The door opened again. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief believing that it was the doctor. Instead, it was their favorite new investigative auror.  
  
"Miles." Hermione said it like a question, not a fact.  
  
"I'm back. I need to ask you some questions while you are waiting to be treated."  
  
"Questions?"  
  
"Well, basically I need you to tell me your stories. That should be all I really need."  
  
"I guess I'll start." Harry said slowly. Hermione adjusted her position on the bed. She wanted to hear this too. "About a month ago I was on my way home from quidditch practice, and I stopped in a small shop."  
  
"Can you tell us what kind of shop it was? Maybe there was a witness."  
  
"A florists."  
  
"And what were you doing there?" Ron asked, with a smirk on his face.  
  
"I was- I was buying some flowers for Ginny." His face turned red and Ron began to chuckle.  
  
"I was leaving when I heard someone behind me. I turned and heard someone mumble a spell. 'Petrificus Totalus.' The next thing I know, I was on the ground. I blacked out (yea, Harry, the spell would make you do that) and when I awoke I was on the floor in some room. I lay there alone for hours. Someone came in eventually, telling me that I had been kidnapped and that I was at his mercy until Ron and Hermione found me."  
  
"Ron and Hermione? He didn't mention anyone else?"  
  
"No. I soon realized that I was in the Riddle mansion. My captor identified himself- he had no problem letting me know who he was. Draco Malfoy."  
  
"I had been there a couple of days when he was joined by Vincent Crabbe. They were talking about Ron and Hermione, and Malfoy mentioned that it was a pity that Hermione's a 'mudblood' and they had to kill her. Crabbe made a comment about her- I couldn't hear it- and it must have offended Draco, because Malfoy sent him away."  
  
Miles looked at him questioningly so Harry elaborated. "By away I mean to Nigeria with a memory charm. Draco kept me in the house, feeding me occasionally, taunting me about Ron and Hermione. He told me everything they had to go through, who they had to fight against, how close they came each time they found a clue. And then one day Ginny showed up."  
  
Ginny took the spotlight from there. She told detective Flannagan all about what had happened since Harry had disappeared. "One night, I was trying to sleep and I heard a noise coming from the other side of my room. I looked up and was going to scream, but there was a wand pointed at my head. The person did some kind of spell, and when I woke up I was in a room with Harry."  
  
Harry and Ginny then explained what had happened until Ron and Hermione had found them. Miles look questioningly at Ron and Hermione. "I know the two of you must have an interesting story."  
  
"Actually," Ron began, "It's really not all that interesting. It's just a long, boring, pointless story, and. . ."  
  
Miles cut him off. "Ok you two, out with it." Sighing, they began their tale. When they finished Miles summarized everything.  
  
"So, Harry was kidnapped because Draco Malfoy wanted to get to the two of you. Ginny was just an added bonus- he wanted to hurt you emotionally, I guess. We'll never know for sure why Draco did it, but we can assume that it's because you killed Voldemort."  
  
"I have a question."  
  
"Yes, Hermione?"  
  
"How come when we fought Voldemort and Ron used that spell it worked, but tonight it didn't?"  
  
"It wasn't necessarily the spell. You and Ron both uttered spells to save each others lives- it was the two of you combined that killed Voldemort, together you are more powerful than even Harry- ahem, I mean, Dumbledore."  
  
As Hermione and Ron contemplated what he had said, the medi- witch entered. "Mr. Weasley is more injured than we imagined, so he's going to need his own room." She positioned herself behind his bed where she could push him.  
  
"Wait! Wait- she has to come too." He pointed to Hermione.  
  
"Very well." The nurse said, sulking.  
  
As Ron left the room Harry grabbed his arm. "Hey, mate- can I have my key back?" Ron just grinned and continued on his way.  
  
~~~  
  
Once Ron was settled in his new room the nurse left. "Finally, some alone time." Hermione was lying on the bed next to Ron and she snuggled into him.  
  
"I suggest we make good use of it." Ron pulled her into a long, deep kiss. When it ended Hermione smiled at him and laid her head down on his chest. They were silent, both reflecting on different parts of their day.  
  
Hermione was thinking about what Harry had said to her earlier, when Ron was still in the house. "Ron was an auror- he knows what he's doing."  
  
Sitting up suddenly she glared at Ron. "You knew!"  
  
"What?" He asked, thoroughly confused.  
  
"You knew what would happen when you and Draco performed the same spell. You studied that spell in the auror academy for a year, Ron!" He didn't respond.  
  
"Well, I. . ."  
  
"Ronald Weasley!" There were tears in her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't stand to see you get hurt. I had to get you out of the house."  
  
"And you think I could stand seeing you get hurt? That was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me! People were telling me that you were dead, and no one would let me in to help you!"  
  
He looked at her incredulously. "You mean you really were trying to get in?"  
  
"Of course, what else would I do?"  
  
"I was lying on the floor of the house, and I kept getting visions of you trying to come back in."  
  
"Somehow I knew you were still alive, Ron! Maybe there is a psychic link between us." She added, jokingly.  
  
"You mean I have to be psychically bonded to you forever?"  
  
"Prat." Laughing, she laid her head back down on his chest, and they began to drift off. Suddenly, the door creaked. Ron's eyes popped open.  
  
"Hullo, Harry. What brings you to my humble. . ." He looked around him. "Hospital room?"  
  
"Ron, you risked your life to save me. I just wanted to say thank you, I guess. You're my best friend."  
  
"Like you said, I'm your best friend. I'd do it again if I needed to." Slowly Harry walked over and without disturbing Hermione the boys hugged. (aw, mushy moment)  
  
Harry looked down at the sleeping Hermione. "So you guys finally got it together, huh? I knew it would happen eventually."  
  
"I could only hope. Maybe someday we'll have what you and Ginny seem to have."  
  
"Are you kidding? Ginny and I were just wishing that we had your relationship. You two have come through everything together, and managed to pull through."  
  
"It's a good thing too. I don't know what I'd do without her."  
  
"Believe me, mate- I know. I feel the same way about your sister."  
  
"You know what, Harry? Hermione is the only thing that got me out of that house. The thought of seeing her again motivated me enough to get my ass out of the building."  
  
As he spoke the nurse came back. Shooing Harry out of the room she turned to Ron. "Ok. It's almost time." Ron ruffled Hermione's hair and she opened her eyes.  
  
"It's time, honey."  
  
"Ok." She stood up, but then bent down and whispered in his ear. "By the way, I don't know what I'd do without you either."  
  
As she turned she saw the doctor entering the room. They put Ron on a ton of medication. They needed to knock him out so they could perform the various operations needed.  
  
It wasn't until he was halfway through surgery that Hermione collapsed.  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
She awoke to the sunlight shining in her eyes. Hermione immediately noticed that something heavy was on her stomach. She tried to roll over, but it didn't budge. She opened her eyes and saw.  
  
"Michael?" She asked, in disbelief. Michael was one of the kids she took care of in the hospital. Looking around she saw the other children she took care of.  
  
"Dr. Hermione, Dr. Hermione!" One of the little girls shouted, jumping up and down.  
  
"Oof." Michael had seated himself on her stomach rather quickly. "Hello Jaime."  
  
"Dr. Hermione, your friend has really red hair." Michael was pointing to someone across the room.  
  
"My- my friend?" Her gaze followed his finger to certain redhead seated against the wall. His eyes were closed and his face looked troubled. He appeared to be sleeping. "Ron!" She gasped.  
  
"Uncle Ron, Uncle Ron! She's up- look!" Jaime was fond of repeating herself.  
  
Ron's eyes opened wide and he launched himself into a standing position. "'Mione?" He whispered looking at her, tears in his eyes.  
  
"Are you going to kiss her now?" The ever-helpful Michael asked.  
  
"Not yet." He scooped up Michael and ushered all the kids out of the room.  
  
Hermione was looking at her surroundings. The walls in her room were bright, full of paintings and drawings. "Where am I?"  
  
"Don't you recognize it? Well, you haven't been here in over a month."  
  
"Recognize what?"  
  
"You're in the children's ward." He chuckled. "Where else would I take you if you had to stay in the hospital?"  
  
She rubbed her head. "What happened? And are you ok? The last thing I remember is seeing you go into surgery."  
  
He sighed. "'Mione, you fainted. When we fought Malfoy he hit you with something that made you fall to the ground. When you did you fractured your skull. Something happened to your brain- the tissues were damaged, along with some of the nerve cells. The doctors had to rush you into the ER. They performed surgery immediately, but they weren't sure if it had worked or not. They said that you would either wake up within a week or two, or. . . you would never wake up. So, since they couldn't do anything more to help you, I had you moved down here. I haven't left since."  
  
Hermione hugged him tightly. "How- " her voice faltered. "How long have I been here?"  
  
"Three weeks."  
  
"What!"  
  
"The doctors were close to proclaiming you brain dead, but I wouldn't let them do it. I. . . I didn't want to believe you were gone."  
  
"Oh, Ron." She hugged him as tightly as she could, which in her weakened state was honestly not that tight.  
  
He laid her back down in her bed. "You need to get some rest." Ron waited until she had slowly drifted back to sleep before he called the doctor. Then, for the first time in three weeks Ron Weasley peacefully fell asleep.  
  
~~~  
  
Harry was beside himself with grief. Hermione was hurt, and it was his fault. If he hadn't been stupid enough to get himself caught, this wouldn't have happened. Ginny had tried to convince him otherwise, but he refused to believe her until he saw Hermione safe again.  
  
Not only was Hermione nearly brain dead from injuries she had incurred saving his life, his best friend was sitting in a hospital room slowly killing himself. 'It's actually rather ironic.' He thought.  
  
Since Ron had woken up from his own surgery he had refused to leave Hermione's side. For the first day all he would say was, 'It's my fault- no one realized she was hurt, not even her, because they were worried about me.' He wouldn't leave the room, and after a week he'd moved her to the children's wing.  
  
Ginny actually had to take Ron food or he wouldn't eat. He wouldn't shave- he had not had a hair cut since the incident. Harry knew that Ron had the children on watch all the time. They were what kept him sane. He spent all his time playing with them, reading to them, teaching them. They loved to hear his stories, and eventually began to call him Uncle Ron.  
  
Harry turned the familiar corner into the children's wing. He had turned this same corner every day for two weeks. He opened the door to Hermione's room, shocked at what he saw.  
  
~~~  
  
'I have the best friend ever.' Hermione thought comfortably. When she woke up the second time Ron had been by her side, book in hand. She had assumed that he'd brought a comic book, or a quidditch magazine, but upon closer inspection she'd recognized her favorite book of all. Hogwarts: A History. He'd spent the last two hours reading it to her, and only stopped because they were interrupted by Harry.  
  
"Hermione?" Harry asked incredulously, running across the room to hug his friend. "You're alive! You're awake! You're- "  
  
"Being crushed." She pointed out to him.  
  
He let go. "So are you ok? When can you go home?"  
  
"The doctor should be here at any moment to determine that." Of course, as she spoke the door opened and the doctor walked in. (Isn't it amazing how I can time that?)  
  
When he finished checking everything out he told Hermione that he'd like to keep her for another week, just to make sure everything was ok, and then she could go home. When the doctor and Harry left Hermione turned to Ron.  
  
"So where is home?" She asked him softly. She naturally assumed they would make some kind of new living arrangement. She knew Ron loved his flat, so she assumed that she would be moving in with him. "I guess you'll have to clear out your guest bedroom, huh."  
  
Ron noticed the wistful smile on her face. He couldn't believe she was willing to give up her perfect flat for him. She loved where she lived- everyone knew that. There was a perfect little coffee shop across the street, and a bookstore around the corner. Not to mention that the hospital was within walking distance. He loved his flat too- it was right near the ministry, and the quidditch pitch the Chudley Cannons used was right next to it. He was just glad he had a girlfriend willing to sacrifice for him.  
  
"I'll take care of everything- don't worry, just get better."  
  
~~~  
  
The day Hermione was released Ron escorted her out of the hospital, followed by the hordes of children who had grown to love their Uncle Ron and Doctor Hermione. "Where are we going?" She asked him.  
  
He grabbed her hand. "Home."  
  
He apparated the two of them to their new home. When Hermione opened her eyes (she had to close them when she apparated- it made her dizzy) she recognized their surroundings. "But Ron, this is my living room."  
  
"I know- I hope you don't mind, but I moved some of the things in your guest room to the library to make room for my stuff."  
  
"But I thought- Oh, Ron- thank you!"  
  
"Did you really think I'd let you move? You love this place way too much."  
  
She snuggled into him as he gave her the tour of their 'new' home.  
  
~~~  
  
A month later Ron and Hermione were married. The ceremonies took place on a huge boat on the Hogwarts Lake. All of their friends were there, including the newly engaged Harry and Ginny. As they ate dinner that night (on the boat) Neville asked them a few questions about their battle with Draco. Soon, Harry and Ginny (and of course Seamus, whom they had become very close to) joined them.  
  
"So when you tried to figure out who it could be, you never thought about Malfoy?" Neville asked.  
  
"He was supposed to be in Azkaban, remember? I put him there two years ago. You know," Ron said thoughtfully. "It all kind of makes sense now. 'The Golden One'- they must have been talking about Malfoy. And when Dobby said he was reverting to his old ways. . ."  
  
"He must have been talking about working for the Malfoys." Hermione finished. Professor Dumbledore and Hagrid walked by and smiled at the group. Unbeknownst to Ron and Hermione they were on their way to collect their winnings from the other professors.  
  
"You know, I almost forgot." Hermione said. "Dumbledore said something to me while we were trying to find Harry. He mentioned that whoever had taken Harry might have kidnapped him to get back at us, too. I bet he had no idea how right he was."  
  
Ron laughed. "So I guess our moral is that if Harry is ever kidnapped we should actually pay attention to the clues thrown at us. And now," he added, putting his hand over Hermione's, "let's forget about all that, and enjoy our wedding."  
  
~~~  
  
Weeks later the couple entered their new house for the first time. They had compromised to find the one home that was perfect for them. It was in the country, and although it wasn't near a bookshop there was a huge library inside. They were no longer near the Cannon's quidditch pitch, but there was a mini- pitch in the backyard. And, upon remembering that they could do magic, they discovered that they could both apparate to work everyday.  
  
After defeating both dark lords the pair became even more famous than Harry Potter. There were reporters knocking on their doors, day and night. Publishers wanted them to write books. Companies wanted them to do commercials. One day when these people were being particularly aggravating Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her into their bedroom. "Can we PLEASE get out of here?"  
  
"Let's go." They walked over to a landscape painting of a field of flowers. Reaching into it, the two were transported into their own world, for the painting was their Portkey.  
  
When they landed in the field of flowers Hermione looked around and smiled. They couldn't help copying Harry and Ginny's idea- in fact, they were starting to need a getaway even more than Harry did! However. . . the places weren't quite the same. Harry and Ginny had a world full of flowers and fluff. Ron and Hermione's world was more realistic. Sort of.  
  
On one side of the field was a stream with a waterfall. There was a small boat on it, to remind them of their wedding. There was a huge library in one corner of their space, with a couch where the two could curl up and read together. And of course, on the other side of their world, was a swamp full of chocolate frogs.  
  
The two spent some the rest of the day catching frogs and reading together in the flowers. When they got home Hermione looked up a spell she had been meaning to research for a while.  
  
She walked into their library and pulled out her 'Big Book of Spells.' Opening it, she looked up the words 'Amorus Protectus.' She used her finger to scroll through the words, trying to figure out what spell Ron had used to save her life. Eventually, she reached it.  
  
"Amorus Protectus." She read. "A spell to protect your soul mate from any danger that might befall them. A spell to protect your one true love."  
  
~~*~~**~~*~~  
  
Well, folks- that's the show! I know then ending went by really quickly, but if it hadn't then I'd have to add about ten more chapters. THANK YOU ALL for your reviews so far. AS of right now, I have 67. I know that's a lot, and I'm really grateful, it's the most I've gotten for a story so far. However, I would love it if you guys would review once more for the sugar lover. It's my last chapter, and I'd love to see how many reviews I could get to finish the story out. Thanks again~  
  
~ Sugar High  
  
Also, if any of you wanted a sequel, or wanted me to write more to explain more in depth about the end of this chapter, review and tell me. If I get enough then I will. And if you thought my story sucked and wonder why on earth I would ever even think of making a sequel, blame glitterduck, not me! =) 


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